Project your 401(k) balance at retirement, see what an early withdrawal really costs, and find the contribution that earns your employer's full match. Mainly for U.S. savers.
Each year your salary rises by the increase you enter, and you contribute your chosen percentage of it. Your employer adds the match, and your balance earns the annual return. Contributions are assumed to arrive evenly through the year, so each year's return is earned on your starting balance plus half of that year's contributions. The yearly IRS limit caps your own contribution, and the calculator assumes that limit rises with inflation and adds a catch-up amount once you are 50.
A match is usually written like "50% up to 3%". That means your employer adds 50 cents for every dollar you contribute, but only on the first 3% of your salary. On a $75,000 salary that is at most $1,125 a year. Contributing less than 3% leaves part of that match unclaimed, which is why the match is often described as free money. The maximize-match tool works out the lowest percentage that earns all of it, and the highest one you can contribute before hitting the IRS limit.
Money in a 401(k) is meant to stay until retirement. Withdrawals before about age 59 and a half are taxed as income and, in most cases, hit with an extra 10% penalty. The early withdrawal tool shows how much of the amount you would actually receive after federal, state and local tax and the penalty. A few situations waive the penalty, such as a qualifying disability or leaving your employer in or after the year you turn 55.
Your employer adds the match percentage of what you contribute, up to the match limit, which is a percent of your salary. With a 50% match up to 3%, contributing 3% or more of your salary earns the most your employer will add, which is 1.5% of your salary.
If your contributions reach the IRS yearly limit before the year ends, your own contributions stop, and so does the employer match for the rest of that year. The maximize-match tool shows the range of percentages that earns the full match without hitting the limit too early.
Before tax. Withdrawals from a traditional 401(k) are taxed as ordinary income, so what you keep depends on your tax bracket in retirement. A Roth 401(k) is taxed up front instead, so its withdrawals are generally tax-free.
For 2026 you can contribute up to $24,500 of your own money, plus an $8,000 catch-up once you are 50 or older. A larger catch-up applies at ages 60 to 63, which this calculator does not model. The calculator assumes the limit rises with inflation in future years.
Generally yes. Withdrawals before about age 59 and a half face a 10% penalty on top of income tax. Exceptions include a qualifying disability and leaving your employer in or after the year you turn 55, which waives the penalty on that employer's plan.
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