Hi Jen,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. The 917 story sounds like a typical government red tape run around.

If you deposited your retirement check into a regular account, brace yourself for a nasty bill from the IRS come next April. You'll have to pay taxes on the amount, plus a penalty (10%?). You can avoid that by re-depositing it into a qualified plan within (I think) 60 days, including the amount that your old employer probably withheld. But it sounds like cash flow is an issue for you. Unemployment benefits, if you ever get those worked out, are also taxable. You usually have an option to have taxes withheld or not - if you don't, again, just be prepared come April.

Good luck, and hang in there.

swag