United States Retirement Calculators

Q: What are the 2026 401(k) limits by age?

$24,500 under 50; $32,500 for ages 50-59 and 64+; $35,750 for ages 60-63 under the super catch-up. The IRA limit is a separate $7,500 (plus $1,100 catch-up), and the combined employer-plus-employee ceiling is $72,000.

Q: Why must my catch-up contributions be Roth now?

If your prior-year W-2 from the same employer exceeded $150,000 (IRS Notice 2025-67's indexed threshold), SECURE 2.0 requires all catch-up contributions to be designated Roth from 2026. The test is backward-looking and employer-specific, so first-year hires escape it at the new job.

Q: Can maxing out early cost me employer match?

Yes, in plans without a true-up: most match per paycheck, so hitting the annual limit in September zeroes your deferrals, and the match, for the remaining checks. Level contributions sized to finish in late December capture every matching dollar.

Free, localized retirement planning tools updated for the 2026 financial year in United States.

The 2026 401(k) numbers moved on three fronts: a $24,500 base deferral limit, the SECURE 2.0 super catch-up of $11,250 for ages 60-63 (a four-birthday window that then closes), and the first year of the mandatory Roth catch-up for anyone whose prior-year W-2 topped $150,000. The maximizer converts your limit into an exact per-paycheck contribution that lands on the ceiling in December without forfeiting employer match along the way, which is where front-loaders quietly lose money in plans without a true-up.