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‘It’s expensive feeding and housing a family of 7’: I’m 41 with $46K in credit-card debt. Do I raid my $1.2 million IRAs?
Yahoo Finance· 2025-11-29 19:05
Core Insights - The individual has $1.2 million in four accounts, primarily in IRAs, and receives $7,200 monthly from pension and disability benefits, supporting a family of five [1][2] - There is a significant credit-card debt of $46,000, creating financial strain [1][2] - The remaining monthly budget after expenses is $3,500, which is insufficient to manage the debt effectively [2] Financial Analysis - The average U.S. credit-card debt interest rate is 22.8%, which is substantially higher than the average historical return of 7% on the S&P 500 after inflation [5][6] - To pay off the credit-card debt, approximately $67,500 would need to be withdrawn from retirement accounts, leading to a loss of $65,500 in potential returns over the next decade [6] - Early withdrawal from retirement accounts incurs a 10% penalty and 22% income tax, making it a costly option [6] Recommendations - It is advised to explore debt-management plans to lower interest rates, consider balance transfers to 0% APR options, or move the debt to personal loans with lower rates of 10%-15% [7] - Reducing monthly expenses is crucial to increase the available budget after bills are paid [7]