Nine Financing Options for a Divorce

Nine Financing Options for a Divorce

By Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA® On 11/23/2021

Divorce is emotionally difficult enough without having to deal with a difficult spouse that has cut you off financially or a situation in which you just don’t have the resources to fund an equitable split due to game playing or delaying. Unfortunately, there is no free lunch that finances a divorce process; however, financing could save you a lot in the long run if assets are hidden or the other side is not forthcoming with information and funds are needed to hire a good attorney, maybe a CDFA, a forensics person or financial support is needed for the family during the process.

Below are a few ways that may be explored to address this issue. They are not in any order:

1. Home equity line of credit – A home equity line of credit (HELOC) allows you to borrow against the equity in your home usually at a variable interest rate over a set period of time, and with home prices high right now, many are finding equity in this asset class.

A judge could even order parties to pull equity from a house in order to pay for interim support and legal fees until a divorce is final. HELOC approval could also take month  to approve and lenders might not approve applicants during a divorce, which could cause a variety of roadblocks to a divorce. 

2. 401K Loan – These loans typically have lower interest rates than a personal loan and don’t get reported to the credit bureaus, however, you will need spousal approval to take out a 401K loan.  Your spouse may agree to allow the loan as long as it reduces your net portion of the asset split and will not reduce the total marital portion of the asset to be divided. For example, 401K value at $100,000, $20,000 401K loan payable by employee wife, each party gets $50,000 in the settlement, but wife’s portion is really net $30,000 = $50,000 marital interest in 401K - $20,000 loan balance.

Keep in mind, the IRS requires you to repay the remaining loan balance within 60 days of leaving an employer or the loan will be considered a distribution. There may be tax and penalties due if you fail to repay in that time period.

3. Personal loan – Approval will depend on your credit score, existing outstanding debt obligations (debt to income ratio) and ability to repay. Additionally, interest rates will generally be higher than a 401K loan, but usually lower than a credit card for most.

4. Securities-based lines of credit -allows you to take a loan and borrow against the value of your investment portfolio usually with a variable interest rate. This is usually used for what would be considered short term financing and used as a bridge between 2 transitions - maybe even filing and settling a divorce. It is a method that prevents having to sell securities and incurring capital gains taxes to in order to raise cash for a need.

However, borrower beware, a security-based line of credit from a bank is subject to a higher degree of risk, as the bank may demand immediate repayment of the outstanding balance or require additional cash or securities to be pledged if the market goes down and underlying securities that guarantee the line of credit are now worth less.

5. Whole Life Insurance loan -You can take a tax-free loan and borrow from the available cash value from a whole life policy. These typically have lower interest rates than a personal loan, do not get reported to the credit bureaus and you can make smaller interest only loan payments. A downside would be that the death benefit left to your beneficiaries at your passing, would be reduced by any outstanding loan balance still due.

6. Attorney arrangements – Maybe you can have an arrangement with your attorney that will allow their fees to be paid from assets after the settlement (maybe from a retirement asset) or make monthly payments including interest until the balance is paid off.  Again, no credit bureau reporting, and I have heard of colleagues that have done both options. However, I would assume this is more difficult to arrange, as attorneys are not in the money lending business, as a general rule.

7. Credit cards – Strategically trying your best to spread the costs of fees across multiple cards and not exceeding the credit utilization limit of 30% on any one card by too much, whenever possible is a good idea. Think divorce may in your future? Now may be the time, while still marred, to consider opening a new card or two, and/or have your limits raised. Both options will also be difficult for those with a low credit score, so start on improving that credit score now!

8. Divorce Funding companies - Believe it or not there are companies that specialize in divorce funding. Unlike a bank or finance company, funding companies assess funding eligibility based on the expected settlement from a client’s divorce proceeds not current assets, income, or credit score.

Typically, no money is due until the settlement is final, and no mortgages are taken on the client’s property. However, how that affects the reporting on your credit bureau history or credit score.  I don’t know.- See These 3 people will fund your divorce. Keep in mind that terms can vary from taking a portion of the settlement, charging an interest rate, or taking a monthly fee and the balance at settlement.

9. Court ordered fees -The moneyed spouse could be ordered by the court to pay both sides of legal fees and expert cost, but even with filing motions, this can be an expensive and time-consuming process.

 

If you are thinking about divorce, it may make sense to consider one or more of these venues and apply ahead of time. If you have already filed for a divorce, it is possible that the debt (whether 401k loan, borrowing cash value etc.) can just be considered separate debt during the settlement, belonging to you without reducing the marital potion (see comment in the 401k option above).

Of course, a financial decision should never be made without looking at your unique situation, considering pros and cons, the long- and short-term impacts of decisions including credit, future retirement resources, the ability to payback debt to name a few, and having the guidance of appropriate professionals. This is not meant to be financial, tax, or legal advice, but options for your consideration and discernment.

 

This article was originally published October 22, 2021, on “The Street”

Tagged with: financing options, divorce, home equity, 401K, loans, insurance

Blog Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within these blog posts are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Certitrek, IDFA or its affiliates.