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Mistakes that One Makes with Money
by: Fiasco Mama
According to Suze Orman, one of the biggest mistakes that one can do is borrowing from your 401(k) or your 403(b
It's a horrible deal. For starters, your 401(k) contributions are pre-tax. Your money will get taxed later on, when you withdraw the money from the plan.
But if you take out a loan, you're pulling out pre-tax dollars that you will then have to repay -- with money that has already been taxed. Then when you eventually retire and start making withdrawals, the money is going to be taxed again. So the money you use to pay off the loan ultimately is taxed twice.
You also can get caught needing to pay back the loan much faster than you thought. . You'll have to repay the entire loan in just a few months if you're laid off or take a new job. And if you don't have the money for repayment -- and you're not 55 or older -- the loan will then be treated as a withdrawal. That means a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty in addition to the regular income tax on all the money withdrawn. Ouch.
Moreover, you're shortchanging your retirement savings. Reducing the money you have growing tax-deferred in a retirement plan is going to translate into having less money when you need it.
Source: Suze Orman