In this week’s audio episode, Miguel Gonzalez describes the Advantages & Disadvantages of 401(k) Loans. Sometimes a 401(k) loan makes sense, but there are a lot of considerations
Welcome to Cortburg Speaks Retirement Podcast
with Miguel Gonzalez, MBA, AIF®, CPFA®, CRC®
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In this week’s audio episode, Miguel Gonzalez describes the Advantages & Disadvantages of 401(k) Loans. Sometimes a 401(k) loan makes sense, but there are a lot of considerations
Welcome to Cortburg Speaks Retirement Podcast
with Miguel Gonzalez, MBA, AIF®, CPFA®, CRC®
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MIGUEL'S LATEST PODCAST
FOLLOW US ON:
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Cortburg Speaks Retirement
An audio podcast about investing in the stock market, financial planning, money management and retirement planning. Each Wednesday, we help investors at all stages of life learn how to potentially grow and preserve their money from first job through retirement.
Now here is your host, Miguel Gonzalez.
HOST
Good morning and welcome to the CORTBURG SPEAKS RETIREMENT audio podcast.
In this week’s audio episode, I will describe the Advantages & Disadvantages of 401(k) Loans. Sometimes a 401(k) loan makes sense, but there are a lot of considerations
Tapping your tax-advantaged retirement savings seems like a desperate financial move (because it is), yet also a sound one in specific circumstances. Best know what you get into with 401(k) loans in terms of time, payback and risk.
Many holders of 401(k)s do in fact tap their accounts. According to 401k.org, about 20% of Americans eligible for a 401(k) loan have one, with balances averaging close to $7,000.
The amount of your loan usually starts at about $1,000 and maxes out at $100,000 (previously, it was $50,000 or 50% of your vested account, whichever was less, but that changed in 2020). While interest rates vary by plan, most common is the prime rate plus 1%.
Unless you borrow to buy a home, you must fully repay most 401(k) loans within five years, often on a monthly schedule. Usually, you repay directly out of your paycheck on an after-tax basis and may repay all at once with no penalty.
Advantages
• The loans incur no income tax or penalties for early withdrawal unless you default.
• There is no credit check or long application form, opening options if your credit scores are bad.
• Most loans become available quickly and you can borrow for almost any reason.
• Most 401(k) loans come with interest rates cheaper than credit cards charge.
• You pay interest on the loan to yourself, not to a bank or other lender.
Disadvantages
• To borrow money, you remove it from investment in the market, forfeiting potential gains. Calculate your potential losses carefully.
• Borrowed funds are taxed twice. You earn and pay taxes on wages and use those after-tax funds to repay the loan. During retirement, you again pay taxes, this time on withdrawn funds. If you’re in the 25% federal tax bracket, twice the tax is extremely expensive.
• You ultimately contribute less to your retirement plan because a portion of new contributions goes toward paying off the loan.
• Not all 401(k)s allow employees to borrow from the accounts. Check with your human resources department before you even begin to consider a loan.
• If you cease working with your current employer, your entire loan usually comes due within 60 days – making your job security for the next five years a big consideration. The loan defaults if you can’t repay so you pay tax on the outstanding amount and incur a 10% early withdrawal penalty until you reach age 59½.
Considerations
You might consider a 401(k) loan if you have looked at all other financial resources and options, including home-equity loans.
That said, sometimes a 401(k) loan offers a situation-specific solution. For instance, maybe you expect an inheritance within the next few months and want to purchase a new home immediately.
It might make sense to borrow from your 401(k) to cover the initial cost of the home loan and repay the loan in full once you get the inheritance. This potentially helps you to borrow funds inexpensively and maintain the benefits of your retirement plan. Again, the length of the repayment period can loom large.
Education and business capital are also potential reasons to consider – carefully – a 401(k) loan. The point: Make sure you understand what you could stand to gain in the present justifies the potential risk to your future financial security.
Your financial professional may be a helpful sounding board for you to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of 401(k) loans.
Make sure to visit our website, www.CortburgRetirement.com. Our site is filled with educational videos, eBooks, publications, and financial calculators designed to help you learn more about your finances. As you search our site, send us a note regarding any questions you may have about any particular investment concepts or products. We will get back to you quickly with a thoughtful answer.
This is Miguel Gonzalez, Retirement Specialist and Managing Partner, with Cortburg Retirement Advisors signing off for this week’s educational podcast.
DISCLOSURES
Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Please consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor.
CRC conferred by The International Foundation for Retirement Education.
Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Private Advisor Group, LLC, a registered investment advisor.
Private Advisor Group, LLC and Cortburg Retirement Advisors, Inc. are separate entities from LPL Financial.
Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal.
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor.
This article was prepared by FMeX.