401(k) Planning with Calculators

Enter salary, current contribution percentage, employer match formula, and current balance before you focus on long-term return assumptions. The first question is whether you are capturing the full match, because that is often the easiest improvement available.

The calculator works best when you model both percentage-based contributions and what those percentages mean in dollars. That makes it easier to compare today’s budget tradeoffs against the retirement value of raising the deferral rate.

For 2026, the employee contribution limit is $24,500, with higher catch-up limits for eligible older workers. Checking your projected annual contribution against the current limit helps you decide whether a percentage increase will actually reach the cap or stop short.

If you are age 50 or older, or in the special catch-up range for ages 60 through 63, run a version that reflects the higher permitted contribution. That keeps the calculator aligned with the real opportunity available through payroll.

Small annual step-ups often work better than one large jump. Model a 1% increase after each raise and compare it against staying flat to see how much additional savings time can compound.

Keep at least one conservative projection with lower return assumptions and realistic salary growth. Retirement planning gets more useful when the plan still works without requiring perfect markets every year.