Is 401K a BIG PONZI scheme?

ihatepolice

Active Member
So im Going thru some rough times and its no big deal i got 401k so i figure im cool right? Now im young so my numbers are not high at all but these are my actual numbers so ill let yall make some sense out of this.

So i have total contributions 9233.03 of that my employer matched contributions are 6048.02 and my contributions are 3185.01 now of that 3185.01 i have a loan out of 1754.21 its currently being deducted from my paycheck to pay that back. Now one would think ok well you have 1430.80 left right?

Wrong i have 0 left to take a hardship withdrawal heres the reason why (or rather T Rowe Price reason) of the 1430.80 in the past i took another loan out from my 401k in 2009 now i have since then paid it back in full with the interest they charge you but its suppose to all go back but it doesnt "when you take out a loan from your 401k it deducts that amount from the contributions that you made not what your employer matched and when you repay it back it does not go back. The money is treated as if it was a employer matched contribution by this i mean it does not go back to your contributions it shows you payed the loan but its no longer part of your contributions and cannot be withdrew unless your no longer with the company or you retire"

So when I take out a loan although its coming from your contributions it does not go back as contributions instead its money that cannot be touched, you have to keep contributing money from your check in order for your contributions to catch up so you have to keep having money come out your check as well as pay the loan back off but when its payed off you cannot touch it again Until a qualifying event.
 

ihatepolice

Active Member
im not sure there actually makig me money thats the thing. I have a plan thru a employer like most people and i can only touch what i put in and if i take a loan from it and pay it back i cant touch what i paid back only my future or old contributions. but not contributions that went towards a loan.
 

massah

Well-Known Member
the idea isn't that you borrow from it...the idea is its a RETIREMENT account...so under federal law they can only allow you to "borrow" so much and so often...like ive got over 20k in mine...but mine I can't even borrow from...even if its hardship..its locked in...only thing i can do is move it around, and only so much :D
 

ihatepolice

Active Member
yeah your not understanding i understand its for your retirement but there are qualifying events to withraw one is hard ship if you cannot afford to pay your rent or morgage and is facing eviction should you be worried about retirement not only that its your money. i not referring to what the company match just the portion i put up.
 

ihatepolice

Active Member
there we go im not saying im right and its a ponzi scheme but when i log in my 401k it makes it look like i have 9000 but i really have 0 because i cant touch it so what good is it. mean while had i never put the 3000 in and i put it into a saving acct i could have withdrew it for hard ships if i took 1700 away fine no prob 1300 would be there. but not 0
 

ihatepolice

Active Member
Define Ponzi Scheme: A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation.
 
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