Tapping your 401(k) at the ATM?

[harry123]

This is an appalling new trend in America: tapping your 401(k) at the ATM. Look, I can't blame anyone for this turn of events except the Republican orthodoxy which has led to a hollowing out of the middle class in America. We need a change in America, fast. If people need to tap their 401(k) to make ends meet, there is something wrong.

From my blog:

I just picked up on a MarketWatch article about 401(k) debit cards through Tim Iacono's blog. It marks a pretty astounding trend in financial innovation.

Debit cards are straightforward. You use them for purchases and money is deducted from your bank account. But when the debited account is your 401(k) retirement plan, critics angrily line up to take a swipe at that piece of plastic.

It's not hard to see why. The 401(k) debit card lets you borrow from retirement savings and pay yourself back with interest over time, much as you would with a typical 401(k) loan. Only the card makes it much easier to crack your retirement nest egg; all you do is shop, swipe and sign.

http://www.creditwritedowns.com/2008/07/tapping-401k-and-unrealized-gains.html

[crazymans economics]

1. Another revenue stream for the Wall Street elite...

...they find yet another way to make money while people lose theirs.

Someone needs to hold a mirror up to these guys.

www.crazymanseconomics.com

[AnneD]

2. Another revenue stream....

for the IRS.