What Are the Actual Deferral Percentage (ADP) & Actual Contribution Percentage (ACP) Tests?
The Actual Deferral Percentage (ADP) and Actual Contribution Percentage (ACP) tests are two tests that companies must conduct to ensure that their 401(k) plans don’t unfairly benefit highly-paid employees at the expense of others.
Companies that offer 401(k) plans must conduct the tests in order to retain the qualified status of their plans under IRS rules and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
If the plan fails either test, the employer must take corrective action in the 12-month period following the close of the plan year in which the oversight occurred. Failure to do so can result in the IRS imposing pecuniary penalty fees, plan disqualification, and fiduciary liability on the part of the employer.
How ADP and ACP Tests Work
The ADP test compares the average salary deferral percentages of highly compensated employees (HCE) to that of non-highly compensated employees (NHCE). An HCE is any employee who owns more than 5% interest in the company at any time during the current or previous plan year or earned more than $130,000 during the 2020 tax year.
The ADP test takes into account both pre-tax deferrals and after-tax Roth deferrals, but no catch-up contributions, which may be made only by employees age 50 and over. To pass the test, the ADP of the HCE may not exceed the ADP of the NHCE by more than two percentage points. In addition, the combined contributions of all HCEs may not be more than two times the percentage of NHCE contributions.
The ACP test uses a similar method as the ADP test except that it uses matching contributions or employee after-tax contributions.
Correcting an ADP/ACP Test Failure
When employers fail the ADP/ACP tests, they can remedy the failure by refunding excess contributions back to HCEs in the amount necessary to pass the test. However, these refunds will be liable for income tax for the HCE individuals.
Some companies set buffer zones within their plan documents to steer plans away from potentially failing the ADP/ACP test in the first place. One option is setting a cap on contributions by HCEs. Another option is to place a contribution limit on HCEs at the point where the plan would fail an ADP/ACP test. Setting plan buffer zones may require employers to conduct ADP/ACP test projections, typically in the middle of the plan year, to determine if any restrictions need to be applied.
Still, some companies use a Safe Harbor 401(k) plan to avoid the ADP/ACP test entirely.
What Is a Safe Harbor Plan?
Safe Harbor 401(k) plans allow sponsors to bypass ADP/ACP and other non-discrimination testing in exchange for providing eligible matching or nonelective contributions on behalf of their employees.
To qualify for Safe Harbor, a company must provide a basic match, such as a 100% match on the first 3% of deferred compensation and a 50% match on deferrals of 3% to 5%. They may also provide each employee with a nonelective contribution of at least 3% of compensation, regardless of how much the employee contributes or if they contribute at all.
A 401(a) plan is an employer-sponsored money-purchase retirement plan that allows dollar or percentage-based contributions from the employer, the employee, or both. The sponsoring employer establishes eligibility and the vesting schedule. The employee can withdraw funds from a 401(a) plan through a rollover to a different qualified retirement plan, a lump-sum payment, or an annuity.
Key Takeaways
A 401(a) plan is employer-sponsored, and both the employer and employee can contribute.
401(a) plans are usually used by government and non-profit organizations.
401(a) plans give the employer a larger share of control over how the plan is invested.
An employee can withdraw funds from a 401(a) plan through a rollover to a different qualified retirement plan, a lump-sum payment, or an annuity.
Investments in 401(a) plans are low risk and typically include government bonds and funds focused on value-based stocks.
Understanding a 401(a) Plan
There are a variety of retirement plans that employers can offer their employees. Each comes with different stipulations, restrictions, and some are better suited for certain types of employers.
A 401(a) plan is a type of retirement plan made available to those working in government agencies, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. Eligible employees who participate in the plan include government employees, teachers, administrators, and support staff. A 401(a) plan’s features are similar to a 401(k) plan, which are more common in profit-based industries. 401(a) plans do not allow employees to contribute to 401(k) plans, however.
If an individual leaves an employer, they do have the option of transferring the funds in their 401(a) to a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account (IRA).
Employers can form multiple 401(a) plans, each with distinct eligibility criteria, contribution amounts, and vesting schedules. Employers use these plans to create incentive programs for employee retention. The employer controls the plan and determines the contribution limits.
To participate in a 401(a) plan, an individual must be 21 years of age and have been working in the job for a minimum of two years. These conditions are subject to vary.
Contributions for a 401(a) Plan
A 401(a) plan can have mandatory or voluntary contributions, and the employer decides if contributions are made on an after-tax or pre-tax basis. An employer contributes funds to the plan on an employee’s behalf. Employer contribution options include the employer paying a set amount into an employee’s plan, matching a fixed percentage of employee contributions, or matching employee contributions within a specific dollar range.
The majority of voluntary contributions to a 401(a) plan are capped at 25% of an employee’s annual pay.
Investments for a 401(a) Plan
The plan gives employers more control over their employees’ investment choices. Government employers with 401(a) plans often limit investment options to only the safest and most secure options to minimize risk. A 401(a) plan assures a certain level of retirement savings but requires due diligence by the employee to meet retirement goals.
Vesting and Withdrawals for a 401(a) Plan
Any 401(a) contributions an employee makes and any earnings on those contributions are immediately fully vested. Becoming fully vested in the employer contributions depends on the vesting schedule the employer sets up. Some employers, especially those who offer 401(k) plans, link vesting to years of service as an incentive for employees to stay with the company.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) subjects 401(a) withdrawals to income tax withholdings and a 10% early withdrawal penalty unless the employee is 59½, dies, is disabled, or rolls over the funds into a qualified IRA or retirement plan through a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer.
Qualifying for Tax Credits
Employees who contribute to a 401(a) plan may qualify for a tax credit. Employees can have both a 401(a) plan and an IRA at the same time. However, if an employee has a 401(a) plan, the tax benefits for traditional IRA contributions may be phased out depending on the employee’s adjusted gross income.
401(a) vs. 401(k) Plans
A 401(a) plan is similar to a 401(k), another type of employer-sponsored plan that provides a tax advantage for retirement investments. The main difference is who participates: while 401(k) plans are intended for private sector employees, 401(a) plans are directed towards employees of government bodies, educational institutions, and charitable organizations. These plans also tend to offer fewer, more conservative investment options than those found in a 401(k) plan.
If you work in the private sector, you can contribute to a 401(k) plan after one year. But if your employer offers a 401(a) plan, it takes two years.
There are also important rule differences between the two types of plans. With a 401(k) plan, participation is voluntary, and the employee can decide how much money to contribute towards the plan so long as it is below the legal limit. Employers may match a portion of the employee’s contribution, but many do not.
But in a 401(a) plan, employers can make it mandatory for their employees to participate. But employers are also required to contribute to their employees’ accounts. They can also decide whether the 401(a) plan is to be funded with pre-tax or after-tax dollars.
401(a) vs. 401(k) plans
401(k)
Offered by private sector employers
Employees become eligible after one year.
Employees elect to participate in the plan.
Employers may match a portion of employee contributions.
More investment options.
401(a)
Offered by government bodies, educational institutions, and charities.
Employees become eligible after two years.
Employers can make participation mandatory.
Employers must contribute to their employee’s plans.
Investment options tend to be fewer and more conservative than a 401(k)
Tips for a 401(a) Plan
As with other types of retirement plans, it is important to understand the rules and fees associated with a 401(a) before making a significant contribution. This caution can help reduce your costs and expenses further down the line.
Here are some ways to make the most out of a 401(a) or any other tax-advantaged retirement account:
Understand the Rules. As with other tax-advantaged retirement accounts, there are strict rules about what you can do with the money in a 401(a) account. If you take money out before you reach age 59½, you may face a 10% penalty, except for certain emergency expenses. It is important to understand the rules for holding and closing your account to avoid unexpected tax implications.
Understand the fees. In addition to taxes, there are also fees associated with a 401(a) account that are used to offset the administrative costs of maintaining your investment account. High plan fees can easily eat into your portfolio gains, so it is important to talk to your employer and understand how much the plan will actually cost you.
What Happens to My 401(a) Plan When I Quit?
The money in your 401(a) or other employer-sponsored retirement account belongs to you, even after you leave the employer. When you lose your job, that money can be taken as a distribution (with a possible early withdrawal penalty) or rolled into a different retirement account, such as an IRA.
What’s the Difference Between a 401(a) and 403(b)?
A 401(a) plan and a 403(b) are both types of tax-advantaged retirement plans available to certain public-sector employees. Unlike a 401(a), a 403(b) plan is aimed at employees of public schools and tax-exempt organizations, and their investment options are limited to annuities or mutual funds. The main difference is that an employer can make participation in a 401(a) plan mandatory, while it remains voluntary for employees to participate in a 403(b).
How Much Can I Invest in a 401(a) Plan?
A 401(a) plan does not have the same investment limits as a 401(k) plan. Most plans cap voluntary contributions to 25% of the employee’s take-home pay.
The Bottom Line
A 401(a) plan is a type of tax-advantaged account that allows public-sector employees to save for retirement. These plans typically offer fewer investment options than other types of plans, and they are also relatively low-risk. Although employers can make participation mandatory, there are may also be a tax credit for those who contribute to a 401(a).
An after-tax contribution is money paid into a retirement or investment account after income taxes on those earnings have already been deducted. When opening a tax-advantaged retirement account, an individual may choose to defer the income taxes owed until after retiring, if it is a traditional retirement account, or pay the income taxes in the year in which the payment is made, if it is a Roth retirement account.
Some savers, mostly those with higher incomes, may contribute after-tax income to a traditional account in addition to the maximum allowable pre-tax amount. They don’t get any immediate tax benefit. This commingling of pre-tax and post-tax money takes some careful accounting for tax purposes.
Key Takeaways
After-tax contributions can be made to a Roth account.
Typically funding a 401(k) is done with pre-tax dollars out of your paycheck.
If you think you will have a higher income after retirement, contributing to a Roth may make sense.
The 2022 annual limit on funding an IRA is $6,000 per year if under 50 years of age ($6,500 for 2023).
There is an income threshold for being eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA account.
Understanding After-Tax Contributions
In order to encourage Americans to save toward their retirement years, the government offers several tax-advantaged retirement plans such as the 401(k) plan, offered by many companies to their employees, and the IRA, which anyone with earned income can open through a bank or a brokerage.
Most, but not all, people who open a retirement account can choose either of two main options:
The traditional retirement account allows its owner to put “pre-tax” money in an investment account. That is, the money is not subject to income tax in the year it is paid in. The saver’s gross taxable income for that year is reduced by the amount of the contribution. The IRS will get its due when the account holder withdraws the money, presumably after retiring.
The Roth account is the “after-tax” option. It allows the saver to pay in money after it is taxed. That is more of a hit to the person’s immediate take-home income. But after retirement, no further taxes are owed on the entire balance in the account. The Roth 401(k) option (referred to as a designated Roth option) is newer, and not all companies offer them to their employees. Earners above a set limit are not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA account.
Post-Tax or Pre-Tax?
The post-tax Roth option offers the attraction of a retirement nest egg that is not subject to further taxes. It makes the most sense for those who believe they may be paying a higher tax rate in the future, either because of their expected retirement income or because they think taxes will go up.
In addition, money contributed post-tax can be withdrawn at any time without a fat IRS penalty being imposed. (The profits in the account are untouchable until the account holder is 59½.)
On the downside, the post-tax option means a smaller paycheck with every contribution into the account. The pre-tax or traditional option reduces the saver’s taxes owed for the year the contributions are made, and it is a smaller hit to current income.
The downside is, withdrawals from this type of retirement fund will be taxable income, whether it’s money that was paid in or profits the money earned.
After-Tax Contributions and Roth IRAs
A Roth IRA, by definition, is a retirement account in which the earnings grow tax-free as long as the money is held in the Roth IRA for at least five years. Contributions to a Roth are made with after-tax dollars, and as a result, they are not tax-deductible. However, you can withdraw the contributions in retirement tax-free.
Both post-tax and pre-tax retirement accounts have limits on how much can be contributed each year:
The annual contribution limit for both Roth and traditional IRAs is $6,000 for tax year 2022 (increasing to $6,500 in 2023). Those aged 50 and over can deposit an additional catch-up contribution of $1,000.
The contribution limit for Roth and traditional 401(k) plans is $20,500 for 2022 (increasing to $22,500 in 2023), plus $6,500 for those age 50 and above.
If you have a pre-tax or traditional account, you will have to pay taxes on money withdrawn before age 59½, and the funds are subject to a hefty early withdrawal penalty.
Early Withdrawal Tax Penalty
As noted, the money deposited in a post-tax or Roth account, but not any profits it earns, can be withdrawn at any time without penalty. The taxes have already been paid, and the IRS doesn’t care.
But if it’s a pre-tax or traditional account, any money withdrawn before age 59½ is fully taxable and subject to a hefty early withdrawal penalty.
An account holder who changes jobs can roll over the money into a similar account available at the new job without paying any taxes. The term “roll over” is meaningful. It means that the money goes straight from account to account and never gets paid into your hands. Otherwise, it can count as taxable income for that year.
Special Considerations
As noted above, there are limits to the amount of money that a saver can contribute each year to a retirement account. (Actually, you can have more than one account, or a post-tax and a pre-tax account, but the total contribution limits are the same.)
Withdrawals of after-tax contributions to a traditional IRA should not be taxed. However, the only way to make sure this does not happen is to file IRS Form 8606. Form 8606 must be filed for every year you make after-tax (non-deductible) contributions to a traditional IRA and for every subsequent year until you have used up all of your after-tax balance.
Since the funds in the account are separated into taxable and non-taxable components, figuring the tax due on the required distributions is more complicated than if the account holder had made only pre-tax contributions.
A 401(k) plan is a retirement savings plan offered by many American employers that has tax advantages for the saver. It is named after a section of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (IRC).
The employee who signs up for a 401(k) agrees to have a percentage of each paycheck paid directly into an investment account. The employer may match part or all of that contribution. The employee gets to choose among a number of investment options, usually mutual funds.
Key Takeaways
A 401(k) plan is a company-sponsored retirement account to which employees can contribute income, while employers may match contributions.
There are two basic types of 401(k)s—traditional and Roth—which differ primarily in how they’re taxed.
With a traditional 401(k), employee contributions are pre-tax, meaning they reduce taxable income, but withdrawals are taxed.
Employee contributions to Roth 401(k)s are made with after-tax income: There’s no tax deduction in the contribution year, but withdrawals are tax-free.
Employer contributions can be made to both traditional and Roth 401(k) plans.
Introduction To The 401(K)
How 401(k) Plans Work
The 401(k) plan was designed by the United States Congress to encourage Americans to save for retirement. Among the benefits they offer is tax savings.
There are two main options, each with distinct tax advantages.
Traditional 401(k)
With a traditional 401(k), employee contributions are deducted from gross income. This means the money comes from your paycheck before income taxes have been deducted. As a result, your taxable income is reduced by the total amount of contributions for the year and can be reported as a tax deduction for that tax year. No taxes are due on either the money contributed or the investment earnings until you withdraw the money, usually in retirement.
Roth 401(k)
With a Roth 401(k), contributions are deducted from your after-tax income. This means contributions come from your pay after income taxes have been deducted. As a result, there is no tax deduction in the year of the contribution. When you withdraw the money during retirement, though, you don’t have to pay any additional taxes on your contribution or on the investment earnings.
However, not all employers offer the option of a Roth account. If the Roth is offered, you can choose between a traditional and Roth 401(k). Or you can contribute to both up to the annual contribution limit.
Contributing to a 401(k) Plan
A 401(k) is a defined contribution plan. The employee and employer can make contributions to the account up to the dollar limits set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
A defined contribution plan is an alternative to the traditional pension, known as a defined-benefit plan. With a pension, the employer is committed to providing a specific amount of money to the employee for life during retirement.
In recent decades, 401(k) plans have become more common, and traditional pensions have become rare as employers have shifted the responsibility and risk of saving for retirement to their employees.
Employees also are responsible for choosing the specific investments within their 401(k) accounts from a selection that their employer offers. Those offerings typically include an assortment of stock and bond mutual funds and target-date funds designed to reduce the risk of investment losses as the employee approaches retirement.
They may also include guaranteed investment contracts (GICs) issued by insurance companies and sometimes the employer’s own stock.
Contribution Limits
The maximum amount that an employee or employer can contribute to a 401(k) plan is adjusted periodically to account for inflation, which is a metric that measures rising prices in an economy.
For 2022, the annual limit on employee contributions was $20,500 per year for workers under age 50. However, those aged 50 and over could make a $6,500 catch-up contribution.
For 2023, the annual limit on employee contributions is $22,500 per year for workers under age 50. If you are age 50 or over, you can make an additional $7,500 catch-up contribution.
If your employer also contributes or if you elect to make additional, non-deductible after-tax contributions to your traditional 401(k) account, there is a total employee-and-employer contribution amount for the year:
2022
For workers under 50 years old, the total employee-employer contributions could not exceed $61,000 per year.
If the catch-up contribution for those 50 and over was included, the limit was $67,500.
2023
For workers under 50 years old, the total employee-employer contributions cannot exceed $66,000 per year.
If the catch-up contribution for those 50 and over is included, the limit is $73,500.
Employer Matching
Employers who match employee contributions use various formulas to calculate that match.
For instance, an employer might match 50 cents for every dollar that the employee contributes, up to a certain percentage of salary.
Financial advisors often recommend that employees contribute at least enough money to their 401(k) plans to get the full employer match.
Contributing to Both a Traditional and a Roth 401(k)
If their employer offers both types of 401(k) plans, an employee can split their contributions, putting some money into a traditional 401(k) and some into a Roth 401(k).
However, their total contribution to the two types of accounts can’t exceed the limit for one account (such as $20,500 for those under age 50 in 2022 or $22,500 in 2023).
Employer contributions can be made to a traditional 401(k) account and a Roth 401(k). Withdrawals from the former will be subject to tax, whereas qualifying withdrawals from the latter are tax-free.
How Does a 401(k) Earn Money?
Your contributions to your 401(k) account are invested according to the choices you make from the selection your employer offers. As noted above, these options typically include an assortment of stock and bond mutual funds and target-date funds designed to reduce the risk of investment losses as you get closer to retirement.
How much you contribute each year, whether or not your company matches your contributions, your investments and their returns, plus the number of years you have until retirement all contribute to how quickly and how much your money will grow.
Provided you don’t remove funds from your account, you don’t have to pay taxes on investment gains, interest, or dividends until you withdraw money from the account after retirement (unless you have a Roth 401(k), in which case you don’t have to pay taxes on qualified withdrawals when you retire).
What’s more, if you open a 401(k) when you are young, it has the potential to earn more money for you, thanks to the power of compounding. The benefit of compounding is that returns generated by savings can be reinvested back into the account and begin generating returns of their own.
Over a period of many years, the compounded earnings on your 401(k) account can actually be larger than the contributions you have made to the account. In this way, as you keep contributing to your 401(k), it has the potential to grow into a sizable chunk of money over time.
Taking Withdrawals From a 401(k)
Once money goes into a 401(k), it is difficult to withdraw it without paying taxes on the withdrawal amounts.
“Make sure that you still save enough on the outside for emergencies and expenses you may have before retirement,” says Dan Stewart, CFA®, president of Revere Asset Management Inc., in Dallas. “Do not put all of your savings into your 401(k) where you cannot easily access it, if necessary.”
The earnings in a 401(k) account are tax deferred in the case of traditional 401(k)s and tax free in the case of Roths. When the traditional 401(k) owner makes withdrawals, that money (which has never been taxed) will be taxed as ordinary income. Roth account owners have already paid income tax on the money they contributed to the plan and will owe no tax on their withdrawals as long as they satisfy certain requirements.
Both traditional and Roth 401(k) owners must be at least age 59½—or meet other criteria spelled out by the IRS, such as being totally and permanently disabled—when they start to make withdrawals to avoid a penalty.
This penalty is usually an additional 10% early distribution tax on top of any other tax they owe.
Some employers allow employees to take out a loan against their contributions to a 401(k) plan. The employee is essentially borrowing from themselves. If you take out a 401(k) loan and leave the job before the loan is repaid, you’ll have to repay it in a lump sum or face the 10% penalty for an early withdrawal.
Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
Traditional 401(k) account holders are subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs) after reaching a certain age. (Withdrawals are often referred to as distributions in IRS parlance.)
Beginning on January 1, 2023, account owners who have retired must start taking RMDs from their 401(k) plans starting at age 73. This size of the RMD is calculated is based on your life expectancy at the time. Prior to 2020, the RMD age was 70½ years old. Before 2023, the RMD age was 72. It was updated to age 73 in the omnibus spending bill H.R. 2617 in 2022.
Note that distributions from a traditional 401(k) are taxable. Qualified withdrawals from a Roth 401(k) are not.
Roth IRAs, unlike Roth 401(k)s, are not subject to RMDs during the owner’s lifetime.
Traditional 401(k) vs. Roth 401(k)
When 401(k) plans became available in 1978, companies and their employees had just one choice: the traditional 401(k). Then in 2006, Roth 401(k)s arrived. Roths are named for former U.S. Senator William Roth of Delaware, the primary sponsor of the 1997 legislation that made the Roth IRA possible.
While Roth 401(k)s were a little slow to catch on, many employers now offer them. So the first decision employees often have to make is choosing between a Roth and a traditional (401(k).
As a general rule, employees who expect to be in a lower marginal tax bracket after they retire might want to opt for a traditional 401(k) and take advantage of the immediate tax break.
On the other hand, employees who expect to be in a higher bracket after retiring might opt for the Roth so that they can avoid taxes on their savings later. Also important—especially if the Roth has years to grow—is that, since there is no tax on withdrawals, all the money that the contributions earn over decades of being in the account is tax free.
As a practical matter, the Roth reduces your immediate spending power more than a traditional 401(k) plan. That matters if your budget is tight.
Since no one can predict what tax rates will be decades from now, neither type of 401(k) is a sure thing. For that reason, many financial advisors suggest that people hedge their bets, putting some of their money into each.
When You Leave Your Job
When you leave a company where you’ve been employed and you have a 401(k) plan, you generally have four options:
1. Withdraw the Money
Withdrawing the money is usually a bad idea unless you urgently need the cash. The money will be taxable in the year it’s withdrawn. You will be hit with the additional 10% early distribution tax unless you are over 59½, permanently disabled, or meet the other IRS criteria for an exception to the rule.
In the case of a Roth 401(k), you can withdraw your contributions (but not any profits) tax free and without penalty at any time as long as you have had the account for at least five years. Remember, however, that you’re still diminishing your retirement savings, which you may regret later.
2. Roll Your 401(k) into an IRA
By moving the money into an IRA at a brokerage firm, a mutual fund company, or a bank, you can avoid immediate taxes and maintain the account’s tax-advantaged status. What’s more, you will be able to select from among a wider range of investment choices than with your employer’s plan.
The IRS has relatively strict rules on rollovers and how they need to be accomplished, and running afoul of them is costly. Typically, the financial institution that is in line to receive the money will be more than happy to help with the process and prevent any missteps.
Funds withdrawn from your 401(k) must be rolled over to another retirement account within 60 days to avoid taxes and penalties.
3. Leave Your 401(k) With the Old Employer
In many cases, employers will permit a departing employee to keep a 401(k) account in their old plan indefinitely, though the employee can’t make any further contributions to it. This generally applies to accounts worth at least $5,000. In the case of smaller accounts, the employer may give the employee no choice but to move the money elsewhere.
Leaving 401(k) money where it is can make sense if the old employer’s plan is well managed and you are satisfied with the investment choices it offers. The danger is that employees who change jobs over the course of their careers can leave a trail of old 401(k) plans and may forget about one or more of them. Their heirs might also be unaware of the existence of the accounts.
4. Move Your 401(k) to a New Employer
You can usually move your 401(k) balance to your new employer’s plan. As with an IRA rollover, this maintains the account’s tax-deferred status and avoids immediate taxes.
It could be a wise move if you aren’t comfortable with making the investment decisions involved in managing a rollover IRA and would rather leave some of that work to the new plan’s administrator.
How Do You Start a 401(k)?
The simplest way to start a 401(k) plan is through your employer. Many companies offer 401(k) plans and some will match part of an employee’s contributions. In this case, your 401(k) paperwork and payments will be handled by the company during onboarding.
If you are self-employed or run a small business with your spouse, you may be eligible for a solo 401(k) plan, also known as an independent 401(k). These retirement plans allow freelancers and independent contractors to fund their own retirement, even though they are not employed by another company. A solo 401(k) can be created through most online brokers.
What Is the Maximum Contribution to a 401(k)?
For most people, the maximum contribution to a 401(k) plan is $20,500 in 2022 and $22,500 in 2023. If you are more than 50 years old, you can make an additional 2022 catch-up contribution of $6,500 for a total of $27,000 (the catch-up contribution for 2023 is $7,500 for a total of $30,000). There are also limitations on the employer’s matching contribution: The combined employer-employee contributions cannot exceed $61,000 in 2022 (or $67,500 for employees over 50 years old) and $66,000 in 2023 (or $73,500 for employees over 50 years old).
Is It a Good Idea to Take Early Withdrawals from Your 401(k)?
There are few advantages to taking an early withdrawal from a 401(k) plan. If you take withdrawals before age 59½, you will face a 10% penalty in addition to any taxes you owe. However, some employers allow hardship withdrawals for sudden financial needs, such as medical costs, funeral costs, or buying a home. This can help you avoid the early withdrawal penalty but you will still have to pay taxes on the withdrawal.
What Is the Main Benefit of a 401(k)?
A 401(k) plan lets you reduce your tax burden while saving for retirement. Not only do you get tax-deferred gains but it’s also hassle-free since contributions are automatically subtracted from your paycheck. In addition, many employers will match part of their employee’s 401(k) contributions, effectively giving them a free boost to their retirement savings.
The Bottom Line
A 401(k) plan is a workplace retirement plan that lets you make annual contributions up to a certain limit and invest that money for the benefit of your later years once your working days are done.
401(k) plans come in two types: a traditional or Roth. The traditional 401(k) involves pre-tax contributions that give you a tax break when you make them and reduce your taxable income. However, you pay ordinary income tax on your withdrawals. The Roth 401(k) involves after-tax contributions and no upfront tax break, but you’ll pay no taxes on your withdrawals in retirement. Both accounts allow employer contributions that can increase your savings.
