401(k) Basics
What Is a 401(k) and How Does It Work?
A practical introduction to workplace retirement accounts and the concepts behind them.
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401k Calculator & Guide
Clear guides, useful calculators and practical retirement resources to help you understand your 401(k), contributions, employer matching, Roth options, rollovers and long-term savings.
Use interactive tools to explore contributions, employer matching, potential growth and different retirement scenarios.
Explore how savings, contributions, time and assumed returns can affect a potential future balance.
Calculate →Explore how an employer's matching formula may contribute to retirement savings.
Calculate →Explore how time and assumed investment returns could affect potential account growth.
Calculate →Compare different contribution rates and explore how your savings percentage changes the illustration.
Calculate →Explore illustrative differences between Roth and traditional 401(k) contributions.
Calculate →Explore how current savings and future contributions may fit into a broader retirement scenario.
Calculate →Follow focused content clusters covering the major questions surrounding workplace retirement savings.
Learn how workplace retirement plans work, including contributions, matching, vesting, investments and plan features.
Explore Basics →Understand contribution limits, salary deferrals, employer contributions and catch-up contributions.
Explore Contributions →Understand Roth contributions, traditional contributions and the important tax concepts behind each.
Explore Roth 401(k) →Explore what may happen to retirement savings after changing jobs, retiring or considering a distribution.
Explore Rollovers →Adjust a few numbers to explore an illustrative retirement savings scenario. The full calculator will provide more detailed inputs.
Educational illustration — not a forecast.
Explore retirement topics organized around different stages of your working life.
A practical introduction to workplace retirement accounts and the concepts behind them.
Read Guide →Understand the key structural and tax differences between Roth and traditional contributions.
Read Guide →Understand annual contribution limits and where current official information comes from.
Read Guide →Explore practical 401(k) guides and interactive calculators designed to make retirement planning easier to understand.
Educational information only: 401k.blog provides general educational information and calculators for informational purposes. Calculator results are estimates based on the assumptions entered and should not be considered financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Retirement-plan rules, contribution limits and tax treatment may change. Actual outcomes vary based on individual circumstances, plan provisions, investment performance, fees and other factors. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your circumstances.
Clear guides, useful calculators and practical retirement resources to help you understand your 401(k), contributions, employer matching, Roth options, rollovers and long-term savings.
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