In short, a personal loan is an unsecured loan you get from a bank. You have to qualify for it, and you pay it back, with interest over a fixed length of time. A 401(k) loan is, as the name implies, a ...

A 401(k) loan could help you avoid the taxes and penalties that come with early 401(k) withdrawals. Employers have discretion about whether to allow 401(k) loans. A 401(k) loan may set your retirement ...

Whether it works for you depends entirely on your total account balances and other retirement income sources, such as Social ...

Financial advisers call it "leakage," a dangerous habit that drains retirement accounts to pay for today's wants. But new research suggests that 401(k) loans are rarely used for frivolous spending, ...

Early withdrawals from your 401(k) may ease today’s cash crunch, but taxes, penalties, and lost compound gains can cost you ...