401(k) Calculator
Most 401(k) calculators show one number. This one also shows the two that cost people the most money: the free employer money you may be leaving behind, and how much of your employer's contributions you would actually keep if you left your job today.
At age 65 you could have
-
- You would keep if you left today
- $0
- Money you put in
- $0
- Money your employer put in
- $0
- Growth on top
- $0
- Taken by fees
- $0
- Your yearly limit at your age
- $0
Where the pot comes from
The green block is what your employer put in and it stays yours. The orange is taken by fees and it does not come back.
Move it and watch
-
at {v} for your pay before tax, per year
And what you can change
Why your own figure may differ
What if you put in more?
The same job, the same employer match, the same growth - the only thing changing is the share of your pay you put away. This updates as you change the form above.
| You put in | You would have | Difference |
|---|
401(k) plans: real examples
Three situations that cost people real money. Click any card to load it and change the numbers to match your own job.
- Leaving money behind
Putting in 3% when the match needs 6%
Pay of $70,000. The employer adds 50 cents per dollar on the first 6%. Contributing only 3%.
Around $1,050 a year of free money missed. Raising your contribution by 3% of pay costs you $2,100 and gains $1,050 you are currently turning down.
Load this scenario in the calculator → - About to change jobs
Three years in, on a five-year graded schedule
Pay of $90,000 with $120,000 already saved, contributing 8%. Thinking about leaving.
Only 60% of the employer money is yours so far. The tool shows the exact amount you would hand back by walking out now.
Load this scenario in the calculator → - Quietly losing to fees
A 1% plan fee over thirty years
Pay of $80,000, contributing 10%, starting from $50,000 already saved.
A fee that looks like nothing removes a six-figure sum over a working life, because it is charged on the whole balance every single year.
Load this scenario in the calculator →
Common questions about 401(k) plans
How much should I put in my 401(k)?
Start with whatever gets you the full employer match - that part is free money, and skipping it is the most expensive mistake in this whole area. This calculator tells you the exact rate you need and the exact dollars you are missing if you are below it. After that, more is better, up to the yearly limit.
What does vesting mean, and why does it matter?
Your own contributions are yours from day one. The money your employer adds often is not - you have to stay a certain number of years to keep it. Leave before then and you hand some of it back. This is the single most-ignored number in 401(k) planning, and almost no calculator shows it. Ours does: the "if you left today" figure is what you would actually walk away with.
How much can I put in for 2026?
For 2026 the IRS allows $24,500 out of your own pay. From the year you turn 50 you may add $8,000 on top. Between ages 60 and 63 that extra rises to $11,250. Counting your employer's money too, the combined ceiling is $72,000.
What is a tiered match?
Many employers do not use one flat rate. A common shape is "100% of the first 3% you put in, then 50% of the next 2%". That means putting in 5% earns you 4% from them, not 2.5%. Getting this wrong changes the answer a lot, so this calculator lets you enter both tiers separately.
Roth or traditional - which one?
Traditional lowers your tax bill now and is taxed when you take it out. Roth costs you more tax now and comes out tax-free later. The rough rule: if you think your tax rate will be higher in retirement than it is today, Roth wins; if lower, traditional wins. This tool shows both side by side so you can see the size of the difference rather than guess at it.
Do the plan fees really matter?
More than almost anyone expects. A fee looks tiny as a percentage but it is charged every year on the whole balance, so it compounds against you for decades. This calculator shows the total dollar amount the fee removes over your working life. For many people it runs into six figures.
What is an employer true-up?
If you hit the annual limit early in the year, some employers stop matching for the rest of it - you get less match than you should. A "true-up" is when they check at year end and pay the difference. Not all plans have one. If yours does, tick the box; if you do not know, ask your HR team, because it is worth real money.