A Fifth of Small-Business Owners Tap into 401(k)s

A press release from management consultant George S. May International said 20% of respondents to its survey reported tapping into their 401(k)s for living expenses. Forty-one percent said they have not taken a salary in order to keep their businesses going.

More than a quarter of respondents (27%) indicated they do not have the financial resources to weather the next quarter. Eighty percent of the respondents give their business a nine-month lifespan if economic conditions do not improve, 16% said three months, and 4% reported six months of survival.

In addition, the survey of 713 small-business owners across the United States found that 52% said they’ve experienced negative health effects—both physically and mentally—due to the recession.