See if you're capturing your full employer 401(k) match this year, and what your overall savings rate looks like once you add in other savings and income.
Most employer 401(k) matches have a ceiling — say, 100% of your first 3% and 50% of the next 2%. To collect all of it, you have to contribute enough to reach that ceiling. Fall short and you're turning down free money your employer was ready to add. This calculator checks whether your current contribution captures the full match, and if not, how much you're leaving on the table.
The headline tells you whether you're capturing the whole match. If not, it shows exactly how much more you'd need to contribute and what the additional match would be worth per year. The overall savings rate at the bottom is a wider view: everything you set aside — your contribution, the employer match, and any other savings you list — as a share of your income. A common benchmark is 15–20%, though the right number depends on your stage and expenses.
Illustrative: on an $80,000 salary with a “100% of the first 3%, then 50% of the next 2%” formula, contributing 5% collects the full $3,200 match; contributing only 4% collects $2,800 — leaving $400 a year unclaimed.
Vesting (you can forfeit unvested match if you leave early — check your plan's schedule), the annual IRS contribution limit (for 2026, $24,500 in employee deferrals), investment growth, and whether contributions are traditional or Roth. This is a snapshot of one year's match, not a retirement projection.
In your Summary Plan Description or benefits portal — usually stated as “we match X% of your contribution up to Y% of pay.” HR can confirm it.
No — the employer contributes the same either way. The difference is in your taxes, not the match.