Mark G

EXCELLENT point. This is why I came here - to get perspectives I hadn't thought of. I'll get out my crystal ball and investigate IRA returns for the next few years, which have been pretty good. "If you or your spouse are still working..." We are both retired. "If you are adamant about taking the DIY approach..." I am. My experience with paid advice has been horrible.

I speak to him when I look in the mirror. My wife thinks it's weird. Seriously, my experiences with financial advisors has been terrible. We went out on our own 30 years ago and it's been great.

I am 67 and retired but have not begun withdrawals from my well-funded traditional IRA. We own our home outright – no mortgage. We need a new car, but don’t have the cash for it. What’s the best strategy for buying this car? I have considered a home equity loan and car loans. But those would be paid back with IRA withdrawals anyway. Why not withdraw the full purchase price of the car from the IRA? I would the buy the car, then sell our old car on my own and return the proceeds from that sale to the IRA. If I sold our old car first we would be without a car and under pressure at the dealership to move faster than I am comfortable doing. 1. Is this my best strategy versus some type of loan? 2. Can I deposit the used car proceeds into the IRA?