I am a writer with ValuePenguin (www.valuepenguin.com), a site that provides consumers with helpful articles and information on financial topics. I’m looking to interview accountants, tax experts, and retirement savings professionals, as well as one non-professional person who had to dip in early to his/her retirement savings, for the following article:

DIPPING IN EARLY: WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING EARLY WITHDRAWALS FROM YOUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS. Below is a list of questions I’m seeking answers to. I can either conduct a phone or email interview (with the latter, please email me back full-sentence written responses that I can use as quotes). My deadline is noon central time, Wednesday, March 18, 2015.

QUESTIONS:

1. (This question is for a non-professional only who had to dip in early) Why and when did you have to dip in prematurely? What were the circumstances, how much did you have to withdraw, and what were the repercussions? What advice would you give to others when it comes to making an early withdrawal from retirement savings? What is your full name, age, occupation, and city/state location?

2. (All remaining questions are for professionals only) What are some of the primary reasons why those with retirement savings accounts (401(k)s, IRAs, etc.) have to dip in early prior to retirement? How common is this practice (do you have any data/stats that indicate this practice, or other data related to this topic you can also share)?

3. What are the repercussions/dangers of pulling funds out early? Please specify, based on retirement savings vehicle, what the fees/taxes/penalties are, and how this will detrimentally affect the growth of your savings (e.g., compounded interest, etc.). If possible, try to provide a hypothetical scenario (e.g., John needs to withdraw $20,000 from his Roth IRA to pay for surgery…)

4. What recommendations can you give to someone if they absolutely had to dip in early, especially in an emergency? What is the best way to go about this with the least amount of pain/penalty?

5. Are there any scenarios under which or candidates for whom early withdrawal is acceptable without penalty? Please detail these scenarios/candidates.

6. How can one qualify for a special hardship exemption from the IRS to shield themselves from penalties/fees/taxes if they have to dip in early?

7. What alternatives would you recommend to dipping in prematurely (e.g., taking out a private loan, etc.)? Who should pursue these alternatives and what advice would you give?

8. Any other thoughts or ideas on this topic you’d like to offer?

9. What is your full name, title, degrees/credentials, company, city/state location, and email address?