More people are taking loans from their retirement accounts [401(k), 403(b), etc.] than ever, simply because they can. Here’s the problem: seeing one’s retirement account as a savings account—or, worse, a personal ATM machine. That’s so ridiculous I cannot even tell you. Sure, it’s your money, but it’s not your money now. It’s for later. It’s out of your reach, so you need to get it out of your mind.
The beauty of an IRS-approved retirement account is that you get to save pre-tax dollars. It’s no secret that what you see in your paycheck isn’t the full amount you earned.
