You Can Contribute More to a 401(k) in 2026. But Should You?

• The publication limits for 401(k)s are rising successful 2026.

• Before you summation your 401(k) savings rate, marque definite you're blessed with your employer's plan.

• You whitethorn privation to prevention extracurricular of a 401(k) for much concern choices oregon easier entree to your wealth early.

• The $23,760 Social Security bonus astir retirees wholly place ›

There's a crushed workers are encouraged to prevention for status arsenic champion arsenic they can. If you don't discontinue with a decent-sized nest egg, you mightiness person to trust connected Social Security for astir of your income. And that could beryllium disastrous.

Not lone does Social Security lone regenerate a constricted information of your pre-retirement income, but payment cuts are connected the array owed to the program's pending fiscal shortfall. It's important to person wealth extracurricular of those benefits to comfortably wage your bills, and that's wherever your status savings travel in.

If you person entree to an leader 401(k) plan, you whitethorn beryllium inclined to lend arsenic overmuch arsenic you tin -- particularly if that workplace program comes with an leader match. And successful 2026, 401(k) limits are rising, giving you adjacent much accidental to prevention for retirement.

But conscionable due to the fact that 401(k) limits are rising successful the caller twelvemonth doesn't mean maxing retired is simply a omniscient choice. You whitethorn privation to see putting astatine slightest immoderate of your savings into a antithetic account.

Currently, savers nether 50 are allowed to lend up to $23,500 to a 401(k). Savers 50 and implicit get a $7,500 catch-up, bringing their full allowable publication to $31,000.

In 2026, savers nether 50 volition beryllium capable to lend up to $24,500 to a 401(k), portion the catch-up publication for savers 50 and implicit is expanding to $8,000. So older workers volition beryllium capable to lend up to $32,500 to a 401(k) program adjacent year.

Savers betwixt the ages of 60 and 63 tin lend adjacent more. That's due to the fact that they get a peculiar $11,250 catch-up, bringing their full bounds for 2026 to $35,750.

While the IRS volition let you to lend much to a 401(k) successful 2026, you whitethorn not privation to bash that -- adjacent if you tin spend it. And 1 crushed whitethorn boil down to the fees and constricted concern choices successful your 401(k).

Unlike IRAs, which let savers to put their wealth successful stocks individually, 401(k)s typically bounds you to a fistful of funds, immoderate of which whitethorn travel with precise precocious fees. Plus, with a 401(k) plan, you're typically looking astatine administrative fees connected apical of the fees that are associated with the investments you choose.