I'd like a reality check on the vision of my borrowing against my retirement account that I'm enjoying.

I have a 20k+ note against my 401k that's being repaid over 36 months. On the note I pay myself about 4.5%. The proceeds were used to payoff credit cards.

When I review/categorize all my investments I carry this as the fixed income portion of my portfolio.

I understand about losing the opportunity return (tax-free) on this 20k by having taken it out of my 401k. But, since I'm paying myself back at a decent interest rate – isn't it analogous to having a 36-month CD paying 4.5%?