Until Robo-Advisors Learn Empathy

Written by: Andrew Lisa | Roughly 1 in 2 Americans retire between the ages of 61 and 65, and nearly 1 in 5 retire before that. Most Americans also now take Social Security before their full retirement age, which varies by year of birth. Not only are people retiring earlier, but they're also living longer — much longer — and there's mounting evidence to suggest that early retirement often doesn't translate into just a few extra years of golf, fishing, and margaritas on the beach. From your health and happiness to, of course, financial realities, consider the risks of calling it quits too soon.

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You’re in a pinch and in desperate need of money. You’ve already asked family members for help, but nobody can assist you. You’ve heard of a personal loan before, but is taking one out a good idea?

In short, it depends on your particular financial situation. If you’ve racked up high-interest credit card debt, for example, and you can take out a personal loan with a lower interest rate to consolidate and pay off that debt, a personal loan might be right for you. But if you have other assets you can borrow against that will have lower interest rates — such as a 401(k) loan or a home equity line of credit (HELOC) — you might want to consider pursuing those lines of credit instead of a personal loan.

Here’s everything you need to know about when a personal loan might be worthwhile, and when you might want to look elsewhere.

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