<prompt> Human: Been there for only two years . Balance is like 24k. What do I do ?Assistant: Is it a tax or are you not fully vested?Human: They say that they dont transfer 401 k to my new job and that if I cash out there is tax 20 on it as a penalty plus regular tax. Assistant: If you cash out you will pay taxes on it plus a 10 early distribution, but this does not apply to rollovers.It sounds like a miscommunication either on your end or theirs, get your new employer to rollover the 401k and be very clear that you want a rollover and not a distribution.Human: I was thinking of cashing out in order to pay some student loans , is it worth it so I can pay off my student loans ?  <response>: Your loans would have to be at astronomical rates for that to be remotely sensible. Like in excess of 10-12. 