Kiplinger ponders its future

Thomas Heath of The Washington Post examined the future of the Kiplinger media company, whose best-known publication is Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

Heath writes, “Washington-based Kiplinger — famous for its weekly Kiplinger Letter that forecasts trends — continues to punch after three generations.

“‘We finished comfortably in the black for 2013, thanks to a record million-dollar-plus operating profit on Kiplinger.com and a tiny operating loss on the print magazine and healthy profits at our letters,’ Kiplinger said.

“But the company, whose content is read by 5 million people each month, is approaching a crossroad. Knight Kiplinger, hale and healthy at 66, will not be around forever. And his three adult children have chosen other careers.

“‘Someday it might make sense for this company to be a division of a larger company doing the same thing it’s doing now,’ Kiplinger said in his corner office. ‘I can’t rule that out.’

“The specter of a sale, no matter how distant the horizon, could wreak havoc on Kiplinger’s progressive philosophy, which has permeated the firm since his grandfather, W.M., known as ‘Kip,’ founded it.”

Read more here.