Obviously by my screen name I run an auto glass business, but I work out of a pickup truck. Its an 08 Silverado that is in good shape but just not much room for equipment that I'm needing. I have a generator, air compressor, glass rack with windshields, and lots of tools. I have to keep my generator in back of truck locked up as its to big to take in and out everyday. I am looking into buying a van in the next year or so.

I should add that I'm a fireman and do all this on the side so I have a 457b account that some money from my past was rolled over into it. I cannot touch money that wasn't rolled over in 457 except to claim hardship which I can't claim, but I can touch rollover money and have to pay 20% tax but apparently no penalty. I realize you never buy a vehicle as an investment since they depreciate and I am usually always against pulling out of a retirement account. I should add I do have regular city retirement and 457b is just an option that I didn't have to get in.

I currently have about 25,000 in it and was considering buying a used van. I have seen some good deals on work vans lately, such as 06 with 115,000 miles for under $4,000. I was considering pulling out of 457b to pay for it all at once. I have been buying new stuff like generator and new air compressor and tools since I initially started with ragged equipment that is now going bad. Just don't have the savings for it although I do have 6 months of savings saved up to live on in case things went bad. I have 4 kids, early 30s, 10 years on fire dept and been doing auto glass for 5 years. Basically, would ya'll recommend putting it on credit card or is it a horrible idea to pull however much the van would cost out of my 457b? I know I probably went overboard with a long post but didn't wanna leave out to many important details. My fire dept money pays most of bills, wife stays at home for now with younger 2 kids, and windshield business pays some bills, of course I have advertising and tools to constantly buy that eats the rest of it up.

TIA

This post was edited on 2/2/14 at 10:42 am