Dave Ramsey: Stop contributing to 401(k) to save money? - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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2015-02-19

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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Trail man allegedly hit mother with hatchet Clash with officers lands Medford man in jail on multiple charges UO students offered antibiotics after death of acrobatics athlete 10 things to know for Wednesday Emergency services, Feb. 18 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Trail man allegedly hit mother with hatchet Clash with officers lands Medford man in jail on multiple charges Emergency services, Feb. 18 Emergency Services, Feb. 17 Emergency services, Feb. 16 Politics and Elections Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. 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Letters to the Editor, Feb. 17 Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Editorials Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Our View: A sad end to a historic career Our View: Time to end the vaccine exemption Our View: Hemp hemp, hooray — old crop is new again Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor, Feb. 18 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 17 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 16 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 15 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 13 Columns Islamic State's atrocities demand ... what? Michael Gerson: A call for 'patient pluralism' Kathleen Parker: No excuse for juicing the story Dana Milbank: Remembering the remarkable Kayla Mueller George Will: Curb your pessimism about terrorism Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Guest Opinion: How long will we look the other way? Lifestyle Latest stories Season Stepp: Cooking Chinese food should not intimidate you Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune Page H. Onorato: Food items help define the South Debbie Snyder: Fleas annoy you and your pet Brent St. Germain: King cake is my kryptonite Food Season Stepp: Cooking Chinese food should not intimidate you Page H. Onorato: Food items help define the South There's a whole universe of chili outside Texas Citrus sensations Community blog: It's time to lavish love on heart-healthy lentils Home and Garden Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Dear Monty: Nine downsizing tips for seniors Carol Link: Prime time for pruning blueberries approaches Home Help: DIY home upkeep projects for every season Health Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines Community blog: Your Brain on Love Health Watch: The rise of wearable fitness tech Community blog: Are You Losing or Gaining on Your Investment in Health? 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Comment By Dave Ramsey More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dave Ramsey More Content Now Posted Feb. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Dave Ramsey More Content Now Posted Feb. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 am »  Social News Dear Dave, I’m 30 and debt-free. Do you think I should stop making contributions to my 401(k) account for a year in order to save up an emergency fund? Beth Dear Beth, Yes, I do. But it shouldn’t take you a year to set aside an emergency fund if you’re debt-free and making decent money at your job. Just make it part of your monthly budget plan, grit your teeth and do it! I recommend that people put off or stop investing until they are debt-free, except for their home, and have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses in place. In some cases, depending on how much debt they have, it could take three or four years to do all this. I know it seems like a long time, but it’s really not in the grand scheme of things. Here’s the way I look at it. If you have no emergency fund, but you’re contributing to your 401(k), there’s a good chance you’ll end up cashing out your 401(k) if a large, unexpected expense comes along. When you cash out a 401(k) early, you get hit with a penalty plus your tax rate. That’s not a good plan! That’s just one of the reasons I tell people to have an emergency fund in place before they start investing! — Dave A waste of money? Dear Dave, I have a question about home warranties. Are they a waste of money if you already have a fully-funded emergency fund, with six months of expenses or more set aside? Andy Dear Andy, In my opinion, they’re a waste of money even if you don’t have that much set aside for emergencies. I recommend an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses to cover the unexpected things that life will throw at you. This amount of cash, sitting in a good money market account with check writing privileges, will give you easy access in the event of a financial emergency. I don’t do extended warranties of any kind, Andy. They’re not a good deal. You’re better off to self-insure against things breaking down, and put what would have been profit and marketing dollars for the extended warranty company in your own pocket! — Dave Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books, including “More Than Enough.” “The Dave Ramsey Show” is heard by more than 8.5 million listeners each week on more than 550 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the Web at daveramsey.com. By Dave Ramsey More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dave Ramsey More Content Now Posted Feb. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments   Reader Reaction »  STAY INFORMED   Email NewsLetter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed   Email newsletter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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