Free 401(k) Calculator — Plan Your Retirement in 30 Seconds

An employer match is extra money your company may add when you defer salary into the plan. Common formulas include 50% of your contributions up to 6% of pay or dollar-for-dollar up to a cap. See our employer match guide and match calculator.

A practical starting point is enough to capture the full employer match, then work toward 10–15% of pay including the match. Your ideal rate depends on debt, emergency savings, and IRA room. Read how much to contribute in 2026 and model paycheck impact with our contribution calculator.

For 2026, the IRS elective deferral limit is $24,500 (under age 50). Catch-up adds $8,000 at age 50+ ($32,500 total), and the SECURE 2.0 super catch-up adds $11,250 for ages 60–63 ($35,750 total). See the full table on our 2026 limits page.

Generally after age 59½, though exceptions include the Rule of 55 after separation, qualifying hardships, RMDs at age 73, and other IRS-defined events. Our withdrawal rules guide lists each path; use the early withdrawal calculator to model tax and penalty cost.

Most workers should fund the 401(k) at least to the full employer match first, then consider an IRA for investment choice and fees, then return to max the 401(k) deferral limit. Compare accounts in our 401(k) vs IRA guide.

You can usually leave the balance with the former employer (if allowed), roll it to a new employer plan, roll to an IRA, or cash out (often costly before 59½). Model rollover tax with our 401(k)-to-IRA rollover calculator.

It depends on whether you expect a higher marginal tax rate now or in retirement. Roth 401(k) contributions are after-tax but may grow tax-free; Traditional deferrals reduce taxable pay today. Compare scenarios in Roth vs Traditional 401(k) and our Roth 401(k) calculator.

Multiply your salary by your deferral rate, apply your plan’s match formula (for example 50% of the first 6%), and cap at the plan maximum. Our free employer match calculator handles simple and tiered formulas.

The standard catch-up is $8,000 for participants age 50+ (total elective deferral $32,500 with the $24,500 base). Ages 60–63 may use an $11,250 super catch-up ($35,750 total) under SECURE 2.0. See the catch-up calculator.

A common planning range is 25× your expected annual spending (the 4% rule framing), but your number depends on Social Security, pensions, healthcare, and other savings. Project your 401(k) balance with our 401(k) calculator and retirement balance guide; benchmark by age on average 401(k) balance by age.

“401l” is a common keyboard typo for 401(k)—the L key sits next to K. Use our 401l calculator page or the free 401(k) calculator; both run the same IRS-aligned tools.