Using Retirement Funds to Pay Off Business Debt: Pros and Cons
The Potential Benefits
Using retirement money to pay off business debt can free up cash flow and provide some relief if you’re struggling with debt payments. Here are some potential advantages:
1. Eliminate High Interest Debt
Credit cards and other lines of credit often charge double digit interest rates. If you use retirement funds to pay these debts down, you’ll avoid accumulating even more interest charges month after month. This can save thousands in the long run.
2. Improve Cash Flow
When you erase debt, payments disappear. This can immediately improve cash flow for other business expenses like payroll, inventory, marketing, etc. Improved cash flow means less financial stress and scramble month-to-month.
3. Increase Flexibility
With debt paid off, you open up lines of credit again or take on new financing if an opportunity arises that requires capital. Essentially, you regain financial flexibility to run and grow your business.
4. Potentially Reduce Taxes
If you take a 401(k) loan rather than distribution, you pay back the loan with interest to your retirement account over 5 years. Since these are retirement savings being recycled, you don’t pay income tax on the loan amount.
5. Avoid Bankruptcy
If debts spiral out of control, tapping retirement funds could help save a business from having to declare bankruptcy. This path leads to damaged credit, court proceedings, legal fees, and asset liquidation.
The Potential Downsides
While paying off business debt with retirement funds can shore up immediate financial issues, it also carries risks – especially if you take retirement fund distributions (withdrawals) rather than loans. Here are some things to seriously consider:
1. Retirement Savings Penalties
If you make an early withdrawal from an IRA or 401(k) when you are younger than 59.5, you’ll pay a 10% early withdrawal penalty right off the top. You’ll also have to pay income taxes on the distributions at your current tax rate.
2. Lose Retirement Investment Earnings
The money withdrawn from retirement savings loses its ability to grow for the future. If you take out $50,000 to pay off a business debt today, that could potentially grow into $500,000 or more at retirement depending on your investment returns. This opportunity cost can sabotage financial security later in life.
3. Risk Not Replenishing Savings
Sure, you might commit to replenishing the retirement funds taken out… but what if you can’t? Many variables from reduced business income to unexpected expenses could derail those plans over the next 5-10 years. If retirement savings aren’t rebuilt, your future self pays the price.
4. Harm Access to Future Loans
Lenders and investors typically want to see retirement savings commensurate with your age. If they pull your credit and see depleted accounts, you may face more scrutiny qualifying for financing essential to operating or expanding your business.
5. Create Tax Burden
If you take distributions (rather than a loan) from a retirement account, all withdrawn funds are subject to federal and state income taxes. This tax burden could even bump you into a higher tax bracket. Remember, loans avoid taxes upfront but must be paid back within 5 years to avoid taxes.
Key Factors to Consider
With many complex tradeoffs to weigh, here are some key factors to evaluate when deciding whether or not to use retirement funds to erase business debt:
- Interest rate on debt – the higher the interest rate being paid, the more retirement savings make sense to deploy.
- Ability to replenish – if you can commit to and have a plan to refill retirement accounts, risk decreases.
- Age – if you’re younger with more working years left, there’s time to rebuild savings. Use more caution the older you are.
- Type and size of debt – credit card debt is different than a business loan. The scale of debt matters too.
- Loan vs distribution – loans preserve assets but still must be repaid. Distributions provide permanent relief but with permanent savings loss.
- Business outlook – if your business is distressed or declining, doubling down with retirement funds is far riskier.
| Favorable Factors | Unfavorable Factors | |
|---|---|---|
| Taking Loan | Lower interest debt, moderate debt, strong business outlook | Higher interest debt, large debt, weak business outlook |
| Taking Distribution | Ability to replenish savings, younger age | Inability to replenish, older age |
The Role of a Financial Advisor
Navigating the complex decision to use retirement funds for business debt is challenging. There are short term cash impacts, long term tax and savings impacts, and overall business strategy considerations. An experienced financial advisor can provide tremendous value in modeling different scenarios and quantifying the tradeoffs over future time horizons.
For those leaning towards taking retirement distributions, an advisor can suggest strategies to mitigate tax burdens. Those leaning towards loans can structure repayment schedules aligned with business cash flow. Advisors also bring an objective point of view not clouded by the anxiety, frustration, or desperation surrounding serious business debt.
Final Thoughts
Using retirement funds to erase business debt seems attractive but also feels like a “deal with the devil” in many ways. Easy money now is traded for potential hardship down the road after retirement savings compound for years.
Tapping retirement funds should be a absolute last resort considered only after other options like debt refinancing, expense reduction, credit restructuring and even bankruptcy. If you decide to proceed, consult experts and develop a plan to rebuild your savings on an aggressive timeline, before years slip by and it’s too late.