Important: The $2 trillion CARES Act wavied the 10% penalty on early withdrawals from IRAs for up to $100,000 for individuals impacted by coronavirus. Individuals will have to pay income taxes on withdrawals, though you can split the tax payment across up to 3 years. If you return the cash to your IRA within 3 years you will not owe the tax payment. 401K and other retirement plans are treated somewhat similarly to IRAs. CNBC published a primer here.
Qualified retirement plans are an important asset for American taxpayers which may allow them to compound wealth for decades on a tax deferred basis. Pulling money out of such an account not only eats principal while stopping compounding, but it can also come with a hefty tax liability as well. For the sake of this calculator, we presume retirement contributions were made with pre-tax dollars. Those types of contributions are typically taxed at the saver's income tax rate & for people who are younger than 59-1/2 there is an additional 10% penalty tax. In many cases this means 1/3 or more of the total withdrawal goes toward income tax payments.
Due to these steep costs (& how Americans & US corporations have drastically underfunded their retirement plans) it is typically better to sell off other assets or use short term financing for temporary needs, while quickly paying off any high-interest debts & not carrying a balance on credit cards from month to month. If one must temporarily carry a credit card balance for a month or two, that is typically going to be less costly than eating early withdrawal penalties by pulling money out of your retirement account prematurely.
Explore conventional mortgages, FHA loans, USDA loans, and VA loans to find out which option is right for you.
Check your options with a trusted Cambridge lender.
Answer a few questions below and connect with a lender who can help you save today!
