Yahoo Finance 401(k) Matching: How To Boost Your Nest Egg
It’s never too early or too late to start saving for retirement, and a 401(k) plan is a great way to do it. But only 58% of eligible employees participate in their plans, according to the Bank of America 2022 Financial Life Benefits Impact Report. Not only are the other 42% missing an excellent opportunity to build a hefty nest egg, but they’re also leaving free money on the table.
Retirement at Any Age: Get Retirement Tips That Fit Every Stage of Life
Also: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000
Most 401(k) contributions are tax-deferred, meaning you contribute pretax dollars now and pay tax on money you withdraw in retirement. Someone earning the U.S. median wage of $55,640 and paying a 22% tax rate could save about $367 per year on taxes by contributing just 3% of their wages to a 401(k). That leaves the individual paying $1,302 net out of pocket but benefiting from the full $1,669 contribution. Assuming a 6% return and a 50% employer match that is limited to the first 6% of your earnings, here’s how that plays out over time if you were to start contributing in 2022.
401(k) Matching: How Much an Employee Could Save by Contributing 3% or 6%
Year | 3% Contribution Match without Employer Match | 3% Contribution Match with Employer Match | 6% Contribution Match without Employer Match | 6% Contribution Match with Employer Match |
2030 | $13,354 | $20,031 | $26,707 | $40,061 |
2040 | $30,046 | $45,069 | $60,091 | $90,137 |
2050 | $46,738 | $70,107 | $93,475 | $140,213 |
A unique feature of 401(k)s could let you substantially boost your savings without paying more in. Keep reading to find out how an employer 401(k) match can infuse your account with free money.
What Is 401(k) Matching and How Does It Work?
Imagine that for every dollar you contribute to your 401(k), your employer contributes some of its own money to your account. That’s an employer match, and it’s why you should sock away as much as you can into your 401(k).
Some employers use automatic enrollment to give employees the push they need to start saving. “This is really a pro to everyone involved,” said Ryan R. Neff, a qualified 401(k) plan administrator and president of Life, Inc. Retirement Services in Columbus, Ohio. “Most employees know they need to save for retirement but can find the process of choosing how much to defer and what to invest in intimidating. This takes away the deer-in-headlights effect that causes employees to fail to save.”
But automatic enrollment can have pitfalls. If it catches you off guard, you might defer money you can’t afford to contribute. Alternatively, you can wind up contributing too little. “Many employers will auto-enroll their employees into the 401(k) plan at a 3% contribution rate and auto-escalate that by 1% each year until a certain cap,” noted Matt Ahrens, chief investment officer and financial advisor at Integrity Advisory in Overland Park, Kansas. Because automatic enrollment requires no action on your part, you might lose opportunities to increase your contribution by a significant amount — and, in turn, miss out on years’ worth of matching contributions from your employer.
Take Our Poll: Are You Struggling To Keep Up With Your Utility Bills?
Do All Companies That Offer a 401(k) Option, Match?
No. Whether a company matches contributions depends on company policy and on the plans it offers. But the fact is, not all companies offer 401(k)s, and many that do only offer them to new employees or impose a waiting period before new employees become eligible. Contact your benefits administrator to learn about the plan your employer offers.
Common 401(k) Matching Formulas
Companies that match employee 401(k) contributions do so according to formulas governed by what the plans and the IRS allow. Most match a percentage of the employee’s contributions, up to a certain limit. For example, the employer might match 100% of the employee’s contributions up to 6% of their salary or 50 cents on the dollar up to a specific maximum, such as 2.5% or 5%.
401(k) Vesting Schedules
Being vested in your 401(k) means you own the money in your account. That ownership is expressed as a percentage of the balance, so being fully vested means 100% of the balance is yours to keep, even if you leave the company you work for. Although you’re always 100% vested in money you’ve deferred, you become vested in your employer’s contributions over time.
Vesting schedules for employer contributions vary, but a common plan is to vest the funds over five years — 20% in year one, 40% in year two, 60% in year three, 80% in year four and 100% in year five.
401(k) Match and Annual Limits
Employees under age 50 may contribute up to $20,500 to their 401(k) in 2022, and employees aged 50 and older can add an extra $6,500 catch-up contribution.
A compensation limit — $305,000 for 2022 — restricts how much your employer can contribute to your account. Say, for example, you earn $350,000 per year and defer 5% of your salary to your 401(k), and your employer matches 100% of your deferrals up to 5% of your compensation. Although 5% of your $350,000 compensation equals $17,500, the compensation limit reduces the eligible amount to 5% of $305,000, or $15,250.
Total 401(k) contributions from all sources can equal up to 100% of your salary or $61,000, whichever is less, according to the IRS.
Do Individual Retirement Accounts Match Like 401(k)s?
Whereas a 401(k) is an employer-sponsored plan, an IRA is an individual retirement plan, and as such, it typically doesn’t qualify for matching. SIMPLE IRAs, or savings incentive match plans for employees, are an exception. This type of plan allows a dollar-for-dollar match on 3% of what the employee puts in.
The Earlier You Start, the More You Stand To Gain
The first quarter of 2019 brought record levels of employee and employer contributions to 401(k) accounts, reported Fidelity Investments, and balances continued to increase during the pandemic. However, employees are now scaling back their 401(k) contributions by 26% because of the economic impact of inflation, according to Morgan Stanley’s State of the Workplace II Financial Benefits Study. If you’re one of them — or you’re hesitant to start contributing — consider reaching out to a financial advisor, whether independently or through the employee assistance program offered by your employer. By devising a solid 401(k) strategy that includes saving enough to get your entire employer 401(k) match, you can achieve maximum returns on your investment and financial security in retirement.
More From GOBankingRates
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 401(k) Matching: How To Boost Your Nest Egg
