Projected balance at retirement
$820,590
Starting + your contributions$215,942
Employer match$92,971
Investment growth$511,676
Balance vs total contributions
BalanceContributions
$820,590$615,442$410,295$205,147$0
0y6y13y19y25y
Projected retirement balance including employer match
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Projected balance at retirement
The match is the heart of a 401(k) — contributing below the cap leaves part of your pay on the table. Set your contribution rate, the match formula, expected raises and return to project the balance at retirement, and see any match you are currently missing.
Employee deposits, employer deposits and investment growth are shown separately. A missed-match amount means the selected contribution rate is below the rate needed to earn the full modeled employer contribution.
Vesting schedules, plan fees, Roth versus traditional tax treatment and the special age 60–63 catch-up are outside this simplified projection. Confirm current rules with the plan administrator.
Inputs are applied directly to standard finance formulas with monthly compounding where relevant. Results are estimates in the selected currency; they do not include every tax, fee, benefit, market event or local rule. Try a conservative and an optimistic case before making a decision.
Last reviewed: August 2026. Primary references include the IRS 2026, SSA, BLS CPI, U.S. DOL, CFPB.
At minimum, contribute up to the full match. A common target is 15% of income once you can manage it.
Your employer adds 50 cents per dollar you contribute, up to 6% of salary — so contributing 6% earns an extra 3% of pay.
For 2026 the employee deferral limit is $24,500, with an $8,000 catch-up from age 50. Ages 60–63 may qualify for a higher special catch-up outside this simplified model.
For an equity-heavy portfolio, about 7% a year after inflation is a conservative long-run assumption.
All math runs in your browser and your inputs are never sent to a server. Settings are saved locally and share links encode the state in the URL. For information only — not investment or tax advice.