Is It a Good Idea to Use My 401(k) to Pay Off My Mortgage?

The government offers several incentives for retirement accounts like 401(k)s. For instance, they’re a tax-deferred investment, meaning you won’t pay taxes on them until you withdraw. 401(k) deposits also don’t count as taxable income during the year that you make them, so you can use them to lower your tax liability. Just as they incentivize retirement investment, the government penalizes people who withdraw early. But in some scenarios, it may make sense to dip into your 401(k) early. One of these scenarios is to pay your mortgage.