The need to make a large purchase happens many times throughout our lives. Hopefully more of these purchase needs are optional as opposed to required. Loans are the route chosen to make most large purchases, since cash is often limited. If you have bad credit, then making large purchases becomes even more challenging. If you don’t have good credit, it’s hard to access home equity loans or credit cards. At times like these you may consider withdrawing money from your 401k retirement fund. However, this should be considered as a last resort for accessing needed funds. Early withdrawal penalties and possible taxes can eat away at the money you get. Use personal loans instead if you only need money for a brief period of time. It is becoming more commonplace for lenders to help bad credit borrowers with loans. Searching the Internet will provide you with several resources to compare (i.e. borrow money with bad credit). However, you should repay personal loans quickly, as they have high interest rates. Failure to repay time in a timely manner can increase interest costs on the loan. If timely repayment is not an option, you contemplate prolonging unnecessary purchases. Hardship loans may be available for your 401k – consult with the program administrator.