401(k) Calculator

The match is a guaranteed return you cannot get anywhere else

A 50% match is an immediate 50% return on the matched portion, before the market does anything. No investment offers that risk-free. Contributing below the match cap is the one mistake in retirement saving with no upside at all — you are declining part of your own compensation. This page shows the annual match you collect and, in red, the amount you forfeit by contributing under the cap.

Matched dollars are still your dollars, but vesting decides when

Your own contributions are always yours immediately. Employer match often vests on a schedule — commonly over three to five years, sometimes as a cliff. If you leave before fully vested, you forfeit the unvested match. This projection assumes you stay and vest fully; if you change jobs often, discount the employer column accordingly.

There is an annual contribution limit

The IRS caps what you can put into a 401(k) each year, and the figure changes annually with a higher catch-up amount once you turn 50. Employer match does not count toward that employee limit but does count toward a separate, larger combined cap. This page warns you if your contribution exceeds the current-year employee limit, but does not stop the projection.

Traditional versus Roth 401(k)

Many plans offer both. A traditional 401(k) lowers taxable income now and taxes withdrawals in retirement; a Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax pay and withdrawals are tax free. The balance projected here is a pre-tax dollar figure — for a traditional account it is worth less than it looks because withdrawals are taxed, while for a Roth the same figure is what you actually keep. The employer match, by law, always goes into the traditional side and is taxed on withdrawal.

Frequently Asked Questions