Things to be aware of when facing bankrutpcy #10

I have said it many times – nearly everyone who I help with bankruptcy has already gone beyond reason in trying to pay off their debts by the time they reach my door. This post is about one of those very common steps people take in being as responsible as they can for their financial obligations: emptying retirement accounts.

I am not going to say it is a mistake to empty retirement accounts to pay off debt, nor am I going to say it is a good idea. It is simply a choice. However, it is a choice that you need to make armed with knowledge. Under the Federal bankruptcy code, retirement account funds are exempt pursuant to 11 USC 522. If you have over a million dollars in an Individual Retirement Account, though, you need to make sure your attorney is aware of this so their can maximize exemption amounts.

So, if you take money out of retirement to pay off debts, you are converting exempt assets. This is all well and good if, by doing so, you avoid bankruptcy altogether. However, if it only buys time and you end up filing bankruptcy regardless of the valiant effort, then you simply have lost those funds down the black hole of debt. Additionally, you will have incurred extra taxes if you withdraw the funds or borrow them but are unable to repay timely.

These are funds that would have ridden through the bankruptcy and remained available to for starting over after all debts were discharged. It is very difficult to gauge whether the strategy of raiding retirement accounts will pay off or not. Therefore, I strongly recommend getting a third-party, preferably and attorney familiar with the bankruptcy code, to review your situation before you withdraw those funds. As my dad would say, “There’s no use throwing good money after bad!”