The Calculator App
401(k)
Project a 401(k) balance at retirement from your contributions, an employer match, and a return you enter. This is not investment or tax advice.
$1,366,131.40
Illustrative balance at age 65 from a $75,000 salary, 6% contributions, and a 6% return. Not a forecast.
How this 401(k) estimate works
You enter age, retirement age, salary, contribution rate, employer match formula, starting balance, and a return assumption. Each year, salary can grow, deferrals deposit monthly, match follows your formula, and the balance compounds monthly at your return rate until the retirement age.
Employee deferrals stop increasing once they hit the annual limit fields (with catch-up after 50). Employer match in this model is not capped by a separate IRS limit — only by your match percent and salary cap inputs. Nothing here enrolls you, looks up your plan document, or promises eligibility.
Questions
- How is employer matching modeled?
- You enter what percent of your deferral the employer matches and up to what percent of salary that match applies. Each month, match is computed on the lesser of your actual deferral and the matchable salary portion. Vesting schedules and true-up rules are not included — check your summary plan description.
- What are the IRS limit fields?
- Employee deferrals are capped each calendar year at the limit you enter, plus catch-up when age is 50 or older in that year. Optional limit growth raises those caps over time. These are editable assumptions labeled as our understanding of limits — verify at irs.gov and with your plan.
- Traditional vs Roth 401(k)?
- This page does not model pre-tax vs Roth deferrals, required minimum distributions, or withdrawal taxes. Paycheck comparisons treat extra deferrals as pre-tax for illustration only. Your plan may offer Roth sources with different tax treatment.
- What does the 4% rule line mean?
- It multiplies the projected balance at retirement by 4% to show a rough annual withdrawal amount. That rule of thumb is not a guarantee of sustainable income. The retirement calculator on this site can explore goals and withdrawals in more detail.
- Are fees included?
- No. Fund expenses, recordkeeping fees, and advice charges are not subtracted from the return you type. Lower net returns would reduce the balance in real life.