Retirement Account Comparison Calculator

Retirement accounts differ in how much you can put in, how they are taxed and what rules apply when you take money out. Lining them up side by side for your age shows the 2026 contribution room in each: $24,500 for a 401(k), 403(b) or 457(b) and $7,500 for an IRA, plus catch-up contributions once you are 50.

The calculator takes one input, your age, and lists each account's 2026 limit with the catch-up it allows: $8,000 more from age 50 in a 401(k), 403(b) or governmental 457(b), and $1,100 more in a Traditional or Roth IRA. For ages 60 to 63 the higher $11,250 catch-up replaces the $8,000 one in those workplace plans. For each account it also shows whether contributions go in pre-tax or after-tax, whether withdrawals are taxed, how common an employer match is, and when required minimum distributions start. It does not project balances or compare after-tax outcomes.

Traditional accounts hand you a tax deduction now but tax your withdrawals later, whereas Roth accounts take after-tax dollars up front and then grow tax-free. Employer 401(k) matching deserves special attention, since matched dollars are an immediate return on what you put in (100% on each dollar under a dollar-for-dollar match). Because your retirement tax bracket weighs heavily on which structure wins, estimate it as carefully as you can.