Is surrogacy right for you? This is a difficult decision, and many different factors need consideration, such as who will be the biological mother and father of the child, the kind of relationship you’ll with your surrogate, what to tell family members, etc. But there are also financial matters to be addressed. In fact, expenses are often a barrier to surrogacy for many people. Here are some creative ideas for financing surrogacy and growing your family.
Surrogacy Loans
Most surrogacy agencies do not offer financing for surrogacy. They concentrate on providing your surrogate and you with the best care possible. A few agencies do have relationships with banks. In some cases, the financing may be enough to cover all of the expenses related to surrogacy, including egg donation/collection, IVF, medical costs for the surrogate, maternity clothing, and more. In other cases, you may need to obtain additional financing.
Personal Loans
If you have excellent credit, you can obtain a personal loan from a bank in the amount that you need. This is ideal when you have other financing available or you have some money saved. However, it may be difficult to obtain this type of loan for the full amount needed for surrogacy, as this can sometimes be upwards of $100,000.
Home Equity Loan
If you have a good deal of equity in your home, you may be able to borrow against it. This can often afford you the full amount of financing you need. However, if you default on your payments and are unable to pay back the loan, you may be at risk of foreclosure.
401(k) Loan
If you are unable to obtain financing any other way for surrogacy, you may be able to borrow against your 401(k). This is not recommended except for extreme circumstances. This may be an option for you if you have a 401(k) to borrow against. If you do, you’re actually not really taking out a “loan” per se, and this won’t impact your credit at all. However, it may cause issues with your ability to contribute to your retirement fund until the loan is paid off.
Contact Surrogate Mothers Today, Inc. for More Information
Growing your family can be difficult in and of itself without having to worry about financial issues. If you have questions about how you can afford the costs of surrogacy, contact Surrogate Mothers, Inc. today for more information. We can help you through the journey of surrogacy from start to finish. And, remember that SMI does not require the full cost of your surrogacy to be paid up front. Generally, the costs are spread out over about an 18 month period so this may impact financial planning as well.