Use retirement money early without paying a penalty you may be able to avoid.

If you stop working before 59½, you can have plenty saved for retirement and still have a problem: most of the money you need may be sitting inside retirement accounts.

Taking money out before 59½ can sometimes trigger an extra 10% federal tax. But the rule doesn’t apply the same way to every account.

Your age when you left work matters. So does the type of retirement account you have and where the money is held.

That means two people the same age with the same amount saved could have very different ways to reach their money.

Find the money you can use

Some employer retirement plans may let you take money before 59½ without the extra 10% tax if certain rules are met. Governmental 457(b) plans follow different rules.

Roth IRA contributions also have different access rules from traditional retirement money.

Avoid paying 10% more

Being under 59½ doesn’t automatically mean every withdrawal comes with an extra 10% tax.

Suppose you need $50,000 to help cover living expenses. If the withdrawal qualifies for an exception, you may avoid an extra $5,000 federal tax.

That makes the account you use important.

Don’t move money and lose an option you need

A rollover can change the way you’re allowed to reach your money. For example, someone who leaves a job at 57 may be able to use money directly from that employer’s 401(k) under the Rule of 55. If the entire account is rolled into an IRA first, that particular exception generally doesn’t move with it.

Money that was easier to reach before the rollover may become more expensive to use afterward. Before deciding where to roll the account, first ask whether you’ll need to use any of that money before age 59½.

These guides help you figure out which retirement money can carry you to 59½ and how to avoid an extra tax. They also show which exceptions apply, and how to avoid moving money in a way that takes away access you may still need.