401(k) match calculator

See how to capture the full employer match while maximizing contributions.

Plan details

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Rules, rates, and percentages vary across employers and from year to year. You can usually find them in your Summary Plan Description (SPD).

Strategy

Enter payments below, then choose an optimization strategy.

# Eligible compensation Contribution percentage Employee contribution Matching contribution
Total
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About this tool

Choosing 401(k) deduction amounts should be trivial, but somehow still manages to take more than 30 minutes in 2026.

Thus far I hadn’t been able to find a tool that helped me with all of the following goals:

  • Capture the full employer match without relying on “true-up”
  • Max-out contribution limits without guessing
  • Invest as much as possible, as early in the year as possible
  • Contribute only whole-number percentages of gross pay

That last constraint is common to most payroll systems and seems to frustrate even the most astute personal finance maestros.

If you find it helpful or have any questions, comments, or issues, please let me know at ishan.pranav@stern.nyu.edu.

This calculator (the “Software”) is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not provide financial advice. Results may vary depending on your individual circumstances. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.