A dream trip to Europe left Hailey Wilson with $40,000 in credit card debt and a $1,300 monthly minimum payment she was struggling to keep up with.
With a personal loan unavailable and a 0% balance-transfer card out of reach because she had already maxed out her lines of credit, the 29-year-old made a controversial choice: she emptied her old 401(k) to wipe out about half the debt.