Dalia Ramirez

speaker

35 appearances 1 recordings 1 series first heard Dec 2025 last heard 8 Dec

Dalia Ramirez’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 1 in all, peaking in Dec 2025 with 1.

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NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast · Life’s Big Buys: Travel Splurges and When to Cut Retirement Savings for a Home Down Payment · 8 Dec 2025 podcast

So, hi nerds!

I'm writing in with a question about balancing savings goals, specifically whether in my current budget I can reallocate some of my savings from retirement to a home down payment.

Here's the information I think is pertinent.

I'm 33 years old with steady work in state government with modest annual pay increases and union-negotiated inflation adjustments.

I currently contribute about 22% of my pre-tax income to retirement.

I have a competing financial goal, which is that I would like to purchase a home in the near future.

In our area, homes that would suit my family's needs currently cost about $380,000 to $425,000.

We anticipate living in this area for 7 to 10 more years.

My partner and I currently have $40,000 saved for combined down payment and closing costs.

I set aside about $8,000 a year towards a down payment, and this year I started a separate savings bucket for home repairs that will grow at about $1,000 a year.

So my question is this.

Can I divert savings money from retirement to a house down payment?

And is diverting future investments to my retirement accounts better than using a small sum from my retirement to use towards a down payment?

Kate, does it ever make sense to hit the brakes on retirement savings to fund a different financial goal?

At NerdWallet, we suggest getting at least a 401k match so you're not leaving free money on the table.

But for example, if you have compounding high interest debt, it can make sense to redirect some funds.

So, Kate, what are the pros and cons of halting retirement savings?

We know losing out on compound interest is the biggest downside.

And the more you invest and the longer you invest it, the greater the benefits for your savings pot long term.

Are there more pros and cons we should know about?

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