Skip to content
Two investors reviewing resources on a laptop

Get industry-leading resources — for free

Unlock resources for every investing strategy and stage with a free account.

By continuing, you agree to BiggerPockets LLC's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Followed Discussions Followed Categories Followed People Followed Locations
Tax, SDIRAs & Cost Segregation
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

User Stats

32
Posts
5
Votes
Hunter Adams
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Riverside, CA
5
Votes |
32
Posts

Is this legal? 401k loan question...

Hunter Adams
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Riverside, CA
Posted

Maybe this is a dumb question, but is it legal to borrow money from my 401k (tax free) with a low interest rate, then use that money to loan out as hard money for a higher percentage? It seems like it might produce a better return than the market a lot of times, plus the money gets repaid back into my 401k and the "interest" on the initial loan goes back into my 401k as well.

Thanks, fam.

Most Popular Reply

User Stats

43
Posts
37
Votes
Kevin Gray
  • Accountant
37
Votes |
43
Posts
Kevin Gray
  • Accountant
Replied

@Hunter Adams  A loan can be a great source of capital when needed, but you must be careful.  I will mention that the stats show more often than not, when individuals take out loans, they do not get repaid or they stop contributing to their plan.  This will hurt their retirement savings growth and projections significantly.

If you leave the job or are forced out (which many times people don't see coming) you may have to pay back that loan sooner than expected.  If it's not paid back, it will be considered a taxable distribution plus a 10% penalty.  This could be an issue if your money is tied up in a hard money loan or something similar.  Say you make the loan but are locked in for a period of time prior to being able to access or remove your investment and are now forced to pay back the loan.  Now you're hit with a big tax bill that you may not have the liquid funds to cover.  Just something to keep in mind!

Loading replies...