409: How I Lost 40% of My Retirement Savings (A Huge Money Mistake)

New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now Let me share a money mistake that still stings to talk about. Before building Clever Girl Finance, writing books, and becoming a millionaire, I made a mistake that cost me 40% of my retirement savings overnight. Yes, 40%! I'm sharing the story of how I accidentally triggered taxes and penalties on my 401(k) after leaving a job, the lesson I learned the hard way, and what I would do differently today. If you're changing jobs or thinking about cashing out a 401(k), this is something you need to understand before making a move. What I share: The 401(k) rollover mistake that cost me thousands Why cashing out your retirement account can be extremely expensive The difference between a 401(k) rollover and a payout How to avoid early withdrawal penalties and taxes What to do with your 401(k) when leaving a job Money mistakes happen to everyone, even financial experts. What matters most is how you learn from them and rebuild. I share this story in Chapter 6 of my new book Clever Girl Millionaire, where I talk about real-life financial mistakes, lessons learned, and how resilience plays a role in building long-term wealth. If you've ever made a financial mistake, know this: your story isn't over. You can learn, recover, and keep building. More Clever Girl Finance Resources: 👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here ❤ Subscribe to the Clever Girl Finance newsletter for weekly motivation! clevergirlfinance.com/subscribe ❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages ❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog ❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance