401(k) Calculator - Retirement Savings Projection (2026)

The 2026 employee deferral limit is $24,500, with an $8,000 catch-up at 50+ for $32,500 and $11,250 at 60-63 for $35,750 per IRS Notice 2025-67. On $75,000 salary at 6% ($4,500), you are $20,000 below the $24,500 base, so the limit does not bind until about $163,000 salary at 15% or $40,833 at 60%.

An employer matches a percentage of your contribution up to a salary limit. At 100% match to 6%, contributing 6% on $75,000 gives $4,500 + $4,500 = $9,000 year one, while 3% gives $2,250 + $2,250 = $4,500 and leaves $2,250 of match unclaimed. Vesting may be 0% to 100% on the $4,500 match.

Traditional wins when your current marginal exceeds future marginal; Roth wins when future exceeds current. At $75,000 single with $53,600 taxable, marginal is 22% in 2026, so paying 22% now with Roth versus 12% later on withdrawals favors traditional by 10 points, while splitting hedges uncertainty.

You can keep the old plan, roll to a new employer plan, do a direct IRA rollover or cash out. A $25,000 cash-out at 35 incurs about $5,500 income tax at 22% plus $2,500 10% penalty, net $17,000, and forfeits about $190,000 of 30-year growth at 7% assumed.

Capturing the full $4,500 match, increasing contributions 1% yearly with raises and keeping expense ratios below 0.20% matter most. Raising from 6% to 10% personal ($4,500 to $7,500) adds $461,000 at 65, while a 0.5% higher fee on $500,000 costs $2,500 yearly, about $87,000 over 35 years at 7%.

At 6% assumed instead of 7% on $9,000 yearly plus $25,000 start, the 35-year projection falls from $1,537,000 to about $1,199,000, a $338,000 drop (22% less) for just 1 point. At 8% it rises to about $1,998,000, showing how 1 point changes the outcome by about $360,000 and why a constant assumption is only a scenario.

This calculator does not include: (1) plan fees of 0.20% to 1.00% that can cut $1,537,000 by $80,000 to $350,000 over 35 years; (2) vesting, true-up or per-paycheck match timing that can reduce the $4,500 match; or (3) taxes, RMDs or the 10% early-withdrawal penalty. It assumes a constant 7% return. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Traditional 401(k) RMDs generally begin at the applicable SECURE 2.0 age, now 73 for those born 1951-1959 and 75 for 1960+, while designated Roth 401(k)s no longer have lifetime RMDs for the original owner. On $1,537,000 at 73, the first RMD factor about 26.5 is $58,000, taxed as ordinary income.

Yes, a 401(k) is employer-sponsored with a $24,500 employee limit in 2026 and a $4,500 match on $75,000 at 6%, while an IRA is individual with a $7,000 limit. IRAs offer broader investments but no match, while 401(k)s have payroll automation and stronger creditor protection under ERISA.

A benchmark is 2× salary by 35, so $150,000 on $75,000. With $25,000 at 30, 6% plus 6% match at 7% reaches about $142,000 by 35 on the projection, close to the benchmark, while 10% plus 6% reaches $188,000, exceeding it by $38,000 and showing why 10% accelerates the target.