Projecting Your 401(k)
Each year, the calculator adds your contribution and your employer's match to your balance, then applies your expected investment return — repeated every year from today until your retirement age. It automatically checks your desired contribution against the 2026 IRS limits and caps it if you exceed them.
2026 Contribution Limits (IRS Notice 2025-67)
| Age | Employee Limit |
|---|---|
| Under 50 | $24,500 |
| 50–59 | $32,500 ($24,500 + $8,000 catch-up) |
| 60–63 | $35,750 ($24,500 + $11,250 "super catch-up") |
| 64+ | $32,500 ($24,500 + $8,000 catch-up) |
The 60–63 "super catch-up" was introduced by SECURE 2.0 and is higher than the standard 50+ catch-up — a detail many people miss.
How Employer Match Works
A common match formula is "50% of your contribution up to 4% of salary" — meaning if you contribute at least 4% of your salary, your employer adds an extra 2%. Enter your match rate and the salary percentage it applies up to; the calculator computes the employer contribution automatically based on how much you actually contribute.
Worked Example
Age 30, $70,000 salary growing 3%/year, contributing 8%, with a 50% match up to 4% of salary, at 7% expected return: by age 65 the projected balance is roughly $1,536,000, of which about $339,000 is your own contributions, $85,000 came from the employer match — money you would leave on the table by contributing below the match threshold — and the remaining $1,098,000 is investment growth compounding over 35 years.
Assumes constant return and salary growth rates. Does not model the combined employee+employer 415(c) cap ($72,000 in 2026) or vesting schedules on employer contributions.