1/23/2006: Back to School, or Buying a House, on a 401(k) (The Washington Post; subscription may be required)

Excerpt: [W]orkers who want to tap their retirement accounts must be careful to do it the right way, or they may find themselves subject to early-withdrawal penalties that eat up 10 percent of the money they pulled out for school. The same thing can happen to workers who tap their accounts to buy a first home.