Have you refinanced your home into oblivion? Tapped out every available money resource with a myriad of loans and credit cards? There is one last option: borrowing from your 401(k). If you've never heard of this option, it's because until recently, it just wasn't done that frequently. But with the market still not fully recovered, and people desiring to cut their high-interest debt, more folks are discovering this alternative lending source.
• A 401(k) loan does not appear on your credit report. They are not reported to Experian and do not become a part of your credit history.
• The interest on these loans is some of the lowest out there—right now, 3-4 percent.
• You're paying yourself the interest, not some bank.
• You'll get your money more quickly than if you were using another means of borrowing.
• Since it's a loan, you will not be charged the 10 percent early withdrawal penalties plus income taxes you would have to pay if you withdrew the money.
• You don't have to qualify for the loan through the usual long, painful credit approval process, because in effect, you are the lender.
• No assets or collateral are needed to secure the loan.
• The biggest con is that you are forfeiting the accrued interest you would earn if your money stayed in the 401(k). Calculated over the long term, it can cost tens (even hundreds) of thousands of dollars in potential gain.
• Unlike a home equity loan, the interest is not tax deductible.
• Some plans do not allow contributions to the 401(k) for the period of the loan.
• If you default on the loan, it is considered a withdrawal and you will owe a 10 percent penalty plus a hefty tax payment. So if you had borrowed $50,000 and couldn't pay it back, you would have to pay a $5,000 penalty and federal and state taxes that could take another $20,000 of the amount.
The cost of borrowing from your 401(k) is what your loan would have earned had you kept the money in the 401(k). Since your 401(k) accumulates tax-free, the total return on the fund is a close approximation of the after-tax cost.