He Plans To Drain His $140K Roth TSP At 59 To Build A Cabin. Dave Ramsey Warns He'll Be 'Living On Social Insecurity, Broke With A Cabin'

A Texas man called into “The Ramsey Show” with plans to pull $140,000 out of his Roth Thrift Savings Plan account in six months, when he turns 59, to build a small vacation cabin. Ramsey Says The Math Doesn’t Work The caller, Todd, explained that he and his wife were still working and had roughly $17,000 in combined savings outside of the retirement account. He believed it might be smarter to use his Roth TSP funds now since it’s a post-tax account and the money could be accessed penalty-free. “Would it be more prudent to pull that cash out… and go ahead and build the cabin and be debt-free,” Todd asked, “or would it be more prudent to actually borrow the money and leave that in there because I think it’s getting to the point where the compound interest is really starting to build?” Don't Miss: Missed Nvidia and Tesla? RAD Intel Could Be the Next AI Powerhouse — Just $0.85 a Share Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here’s how you can earn passive income with just $10, starting today. “That's not how compound interest works,” personal finance expert Dave Ramsey replied flatly. “It doesn't get a running start. You just make interest on whatever’s there.” Ramsey was more concerned about the bigger picture: Todd was considering draining a major retirement account to build a second home while still having limited liquid savings and no other major investments. “You’re going to have to retire broke with a cabin, and that just doesn’t—I can’t tell you to do that,” Ramsey said. “You’re going to be living on social insecurity, broke with a cabin.” Is There Enough Money? Todd countered that he had a government pension coming, along with Social Security. He floated the idea of selling either the cabin or his primary residence if needed in the future. But Ramsey didn’t budge. Trending: Americans With a Financial Plan Can 4X Their Wealth — Get Your Personalized Plan from a CFP Pro “You have not saved enough money. You’ve not done a good enough job with your investments to be able to afford to have a second home,” he said. “It’s like calling me up and going, ‘Dave, I want to buy a $2 million yacht.’ Well, you don’t have the money. It breaks my heart.” Co-host John Delony pointed out the emotional angle, suggesting Todd might be justifying the decision because he's wanted a cabin for so long. “I get really wanting something, but the thought of relying on the government 20 years from now,” Delony said, “that seems infinitely more foolish.” In the end, Ramsey warned that people often find ways to justify what they want, even when it’s financially unwise. He emphasized the importance of seeking out solid financial advice, but more importantly, actually following it. Read Next: $100k+ in investable assets? Match with a fiduciary advisor for free to learn how you can maximize your retirement and save on taxes – no cost, no obligation. An EA Co-Founder Shapes This VC Backed Marketplace—Now You Can Invest in Gaming's Next Big Platform Before the Raise Ends 1/19 Image: Shutterstock