Using Retirement Money to Pay Off the Mortgage ... My question is: Would it be wiser to use a portion of her 401(k) to pay off our $100,000 mortgage … When taking a distribution on your 401(k) to pay off the mortgage, you’ll owe income taxes. If you pay off your mortgage before you retire, you might only need $80,000 each year. Now, if you have a 401(k), you could pay a penalty if you cash out your investment account before you turn 59 ½. Here’s some more information about the rules you need to follow to maximize your 401(k) benefits after you turn 59 ½. The psychological benefit that comes with living without a mortgage is something that appeals to many people. Unless you want to delay your retirement, one way to eliminate debt is to take some of your super savings as a lump sum and use it to pay off your mortgage. If your mortgage interest rate is 4 percent but your 401(k) earns you 6 percent, putting money in your retirement account pays off much better. Retirees no longer hold full-time positions and therefore any incoming salary is reduced or eliminated. Make an extra mortgage payment each year, apply a bonus or other windfall to your mortgage payments, or refinance into a 15-year mortgage to pay it off … Pay With the Right Money, and Pay the Right Amount. ET By Discover Ways to Save in Retirement and How to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early Here is a viable plan for retiring mortgage free or to simply increase your savings dramatically. You’re making good money. I want you to hear me loud and clear on this one: Never, ever use retirement account (IRA, 401k) money to pay off a mortgage. An annual $20,000 reduction over a 25 to 30-year retirement adds up to significant savings. Why? Asked by a 66 year old woman from Downers Grove, IL on 3/5/2019. You would need to take significantly more that $85,000 out of your 401k to pay the taxes owed and still be left with $85,000 to pay off the mortgage. Question ; Pay off mortgage with 401k money? Homeowners who don't have a lot of cash on hand may be tempted to use the funds held within retirement accounts, like IRAs, to pay down a mortgage. To make a reasonable assessment of whether it makes sense to use money from his 401(k) to pay off your mortgage, you really need to work with a financial adviser who can do a … Let’s say you’re about to retire with $200,000 still owing on your home and you have $300,000 in super. Published: July 11, 2020 at 2:56 p.m. The TSP 2019 Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contribution limits are are $19,000 and an additional $6,000 for … One of the biggest disadvantages to cashing out the 401k to pay off the mortgage are the taxes involved. As an aside, I know of at least one reader out there will likely be strongly in favor of this idea… Our good friend Carlos, who cashed out his 401(k), paid the 10% penalty (plus taxes), and used the proceeds to pay off his mortgage just three years after buying his house. Should you pay off that mortgage before heading into retirement? “If you withdraw money from a 401(k) or an individual retirement account (IRA) before 59½, you’ll likely pay ordinary income tax—plus a penalty—substantially offsetting any savings on your mortgage interest,” Rob says. The 401(k) Withdrawal Rules for People Older Than 59 ½. A. After seeing how much money we could put in our bank account instead of paying mortgage interest, we started to think seriously about paying our entire mortgage off early. We had the cash to pay off the remaining $40,000 balance, but it meant withdrawing $25,000 from our individual retirement accounts (IRA). Paying off a mortgage early can reduce monthly expenses, but raiding an IRA can result in higher taxes and leave you with fewer resources for retirement. The years during retirement offer consumers fewer options for funding. We have $190,000 in retirement savings and want to use the COVID-related distribution rules to pay off $40,000 in debt — should we? Distributions from these investments must last for at least three years after the date of the mortgage … If you intend to use retirement funds from traditional 401(k)s or IRAs to make another 10 years of mortgage payments in retirement, you’re going to need to pull out a lot more than $16,668 a year. Paying your mortgage early isn't such a great idea when the interest rates are low. A mortgage is a big expense, and even if you do get approved for one, it isn't always the smartest financial move. For the average American, owning a home outright is a major objective in life from both a … Paying off a mortgage when you retire, even if you have to use retirement funds to do so, may sound very appealing. We … Mortgage interest is tax deductible, so if you itemize, your actual interest expense may be even less. Instead, it could create more stress. Using your retirement savings to make mortgage payments could also trigger taxes. You made a $300,000 withdraw from the traditional TSP to pay off your home but you net around $219,120 ($300,000 – $80,880= $219,120.00). After 20 years of paying $1,389 a month you still owe $138,850. My thinking is that I can always withdraw the money and pay off the mortgage if things start to go in the opposite direction. John does not actually have to start dipping into his 401(k) to pay the mortgage, but this calculation shows lenders that he could rely on his 401(k) to pay the mortgage if needed to. Using their retirement savings to pay off their mortgage can give people a feeling of freedom. Buying a new home in retirement isn't always wise. Paying off debt with your 401(k) plan can make sense in some cases, compared to other ways to raise funds. We're not making much money in … Using your 401(k) to pay off debt to avoid bankruptcy may not be the wisest move, given that U.S. bankruptcy courts generally shield retirement accounts. The monthly payment on a $250,000 15-year fixed-rate mortgage at 3.16 percent is $1,745.76, or about $445.76 more than your current mortgage payment. Retirees should pay off their mortgage loan before retirement. But you're also endangering your retirement so … Because paying off your mortgage by tapping your nest egg won’t create that coveted peace of mind. Most likely, most of the funds in your 401k are pre-tax dollars, meaning the funds you take out will all be taxed at your ordinary income rate. More retirees rely on Social Security benefits, 401(k) payouts, pensions, or other savings funds. If you withdraw $60,000 from your IRA to pay off your mortgage, you might end up with less than $50,000 after … Source: AJC.com For example, if you’re in the 33% bracket (combined Federal and state income taxes), you must withdraw $127,500 from your 401k to have $85,000 left after taxes! As long as the borrower is 59 ½ the lender can use recent withdrawals from retirement accounts as proof of income. Most 401(k)s offer employer contributions. Borrowing from your 401k to pay off your mortgage or buy a house. If you retire after 59½, you can start taking withdrawals without paying an early withdrawal penalty. Before going from a 15-year mortgage to a 30-year mortgage, make sure your savings, Social Security payments, and other forms of income will be able to keep up with those payments well into your retirement years. 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