| |
| |
|
Personal Finance Information |
|
Should You Borrow From Your 401(k) Account?
If you have a 401(k) account, it can be very tempting to borrow from your account especially when your balance is very high and a loan could easily pay off existing debt, fund a home purchase, or pay for college tuition. Before you make the decision to borrow money, there are several things you must keep in mind to avoid risking your funds. Borrowing from a 401(k) can seem like a risk free loan, especially since you repay yourself with interest. However, there are costs involved that are not readily apparent to the borrower who elects to take out a loan: 1. On the borrowed funds, you lose all tax-favored investment returns. In other words, you are effectively charged extra interest for the loaned funds. 2. Any interest you pay, even though you are paying yourself, is not deductible, but will be taxable to you when the plan pays you back via future distributions. 3. You may have to pay a fee to take out the loan. Add this expense to the loan costs to see if a loan is still cost effective. 4. If you leave your place of employment before paying off your loan, you will be required to pay the loan back in its entirety immediately. If you do not have the funds available to pay back the loan right away, you will then be subject to IRS taxes and penalties which can eat up as much as 30% or more of your borrowed funds depending on your tax bracket. The IRS treats all loans that are not paid back as disbursements. Yes, a 401(k) loan can help fund life's emergencies, but the hidden costs and fees involved as well as potential taxes and penalties can quickly turn a good thing into a bad move. Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful article writing, web design, and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community and the Aviation Employment Board. Please visit The Article Writer to review selections from his portfolio.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 403, exiting |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Roth IRA Contributions - IRS Rules Confused about whether you can contribute to a Roth IRA? Try using these simple rules:IncomeTo contribute to a Roth IRA, you must have compensation (e.g. Affording a Home Can you really afford a house? If so, how much house can you afford? To determine this answer will take serious financial planning, and the best time to start is at least six months before buying the home.Although buying a new home may seem like an American Dream or romantic venture, the reality is that the house you can afford depends on your current income and debt obligations. Budgets And Eating - Can They Co-Exist? Whatever your reason for having a tight budget, thetruth is that going to the grocery store without a planis a BIG budget breaker. And sadly all that cash endsup vanishing into our stomachs and then. Developing a budget? Watch out for Those Budget-Bursting Gremlins If you've developed a household budget to get your spending back in line or to just reduce stress, good for you! Creating and sticking to a budget isn't easy by all means. But it represents the best way by far to manage your finances so you can relax and worry about other things. Budgeting Tips to Save Real Money Sticking to a budget can be difficult, but with so many demands on your finances you have to be extra cautious. TV ads are constantly bombarding the airwaves with messages that you need to buy this or you must have that. Bankruptcy Chapters Explained Chapter 7The potential chapter 7 debtor should understand that a straight bankruptcy case does not involve the filing of a plan of repayment as in chapter 13, but rather envisions the bankruptcy trustee's gathering and sale of the debtor's nonexempt assets, from which holders of claims (creditors) will receive distributions in accordance with the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. Part of the debtor's property may be subject to liens and mortgages that pledge the property to other creditors. Bankruptcy Laws Get Tougher - More Expensive If you've been thinking about filing for bankruptcy, your best bet might be to file now.A new bankruptcy law takes effect in November that will make it harder and more expensive for most families to file for bankruptcy and discharge their debts. Want Your Savings to Earn a Higher Rate of Return? Try Internet Banking Doesn't it seem like the only impressive numbers we've seen this summer are the digits on the thermostat and the unaffordable prices of homes? Real estate has been excruciatingly hot for the past few years, but getting in the market now puts you in the high-risk category for a heat stroke if the market decides to cool off this year.So if a real estate induced stroke doesn't appeal to you and the stock market's roller coaster ride gives you motion sickness, it's very likely that you as a health-conscious investor are sitting on a stash of cash collecting an anemic rate of interest. How to Balance Your Checkbook - Get a Calculator and Pencil and You are Ready To Go! Despite how easy it is to balance a checkbook, very few people take the time to do it and the few who do, don't always do it the right way. If you write down in your checkbook ledger what should be deducted and added, you are on the right track - if not, start there and follow these nine easy steps to a balanced checkbook. Planning Ahead with Your Finances If you, like most people, have not seriously considered what steps you should take for planning your finances and are now planning on buying a house, getting married or having children, you will do well to read David Chilton's book 'The Wealthy Barber'.It will not matter if you have never heard of a mutual fund or even balanced your checkbook. Identity Theft - More Tips on How it Can Be Avoided Recent security breaches at several credit card companies continue to worry Americans, as stolen financial information can lead to identity theft. Identity theft occurs when someone obtains your Social Security number and/or other vital information and uses it to pose as you. Do You Know What Tomorrow Will Bring? I've been sharing the following idea with people for a few years now, and realized recently that I had never written specifically about it. So here it is:"I cannot predict the future. Banks Are More Than Just A Place To Park Your Money If you've been to a shopping mall lately, you've probablydiscovered two different banks within a few feet of eachother. Go inside the food store in that shopping plazaand you'll see yet another one, just waiting to offer theirservices to you. How to Choose Wisely a Credit Card So, you've made the decision to apply for a credit card. It's an important step for any consumer. 10 Steps to Take if You Are a Victim of Identity Theft There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims on America and over 40% of all consumer complaints in the U. The Magic Of Compound Interest Christians are called to be good stewards of God's resources. A steward can be described as someone who manages the resources of another. Car Donations and Used Car Donations Car donations and used car donations are the way many people choose to recycle their older model cars without having the headache of repairing, advertising, showing, and hopefully then selling them. Being able to get rid of an older car and at the same time gaining the benefits of charitable giving and a tax deduction are all part of the allure of used car donations. Budgeting Made Easy Well, dang! From what I've heard and read, it looks like we've reached an all-time world-class new record in the amount of personal debt on the books. Now it's probably not quite as bad as we've been led to believe, however many of us have managed to tromp further than we should have into the financial swamp. Retirement Income Needs---Less Than You Think? It is widely written that you need 75% of your presentincome to maintain your present life-style in retirement. Ifyou make 100 thousand now, figure 75 thousand inretirement. Grocery Savings - Your Kitchen is a Goldmine! Your food budget is the most flexible area of your household budget. Grocery savings will free up a significant amount of money if you need to balance the budget, or fund your savings accounts.
|
| home | site map | contact us |