I’m not a big fan of debt. I’ve been debt free since 2008 and can’t imagine living life any differently. Probably the only “good” debt would be a mortgage where you made at least a 20% down payment. What if you’re stuck in a difficult situation where you need to take out a loan? This video will show you exactly how to electronically apply for and receive a loan from a United Methodist retirement account.
The thing I like about taking a loan from your retirement account is that you’re paying yourself back…with interest. I’ve also played around with the math…which is more complicated than expected. Here’s what I suspect:
- Retirement Loan vs Credit Card: Retirement wins. Your interest rate will be much less with the retirement loan. You should be able to pay off the debt quicker and for less. When calculating the effect on your retirement account, it’s not just the interest rate vs the investment returns because you’ll be earning investment returns on every loan payment you make. It looks like it’s a wash.
- Retirement Loan to Buy Home: This was also complicated. If you are short on reaching the 20% down payment, the retirement loan could help you avoid PMI and possible get a lower mortgage rate. When I do the math, it looks like you’ll likely have a slightly lower combined monthly payment.
Useful Links
- Login for Benefits Access: https://www.benefitsaccess.org/login.aspx
- Hardship Loan Details: https://www.wespath.org/assets/1/7/3276.pdf
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