401k Calculator

How does Titan’s 401k calculator work?

Titan’s 401(k) calculator gives anyone the ability to project potential returns from a 401(k) retirement fund, based on your current age, 401(k) balance, and annual salary; how much you plan to contribute each year, plus any employer contributions; and the age at which you plan to retire.

A few notes on our inputs:

• Contribution % of salary: This is the percentage of your salary that you plan to contribute to your 401(k). Note that our calculator allows increments of 1%, and doesn’t apply the IRS’s contribution limits, so make sure that the percentage of your salary equals less than $20,500, the 2022 limit for people under age 50. For example, if your salary is $150,000 per year, you can contribute a maximum of 13%.

• Age you plan to retire: According to the IRS, the minimum retirement age is 59½— this is when you can begin withdrawing from your 401(k) without penalty. Many people target age 65 for retirement. Your target retirement age minus your current age is your time horizon.

• Employer match and limit: Enter this as a percentage of your contributions. For example, if your employer matches 50 cents for every dollar you contribute, enter 50%. Remember, contribution limits aren’t factored in, so make sure the employer contribution is within the IRS’s limit of $61,000 for those under 50 (or up to 100% of your salary—whichever is less).

Titan’s calculator also includes a few assumptions, but you have the option to edit these fields if you wish.

• Salary increase: This is how much your salary might increase each year. Titan’s calculator assumes you get a 2% salary increase each year, which is a relatively standard cost of living raise.

• Estimated Rate of Return: Rate of return (ROR) is the gain or loss for any investment, in percentage terms, for a given period of time. Titan’s calculator uses the historical average growth rates for U.S. stocks, using benchmark indexes such as the S&P 500 Index, which is about 10%. This rate is not adjusted for inflation.

Once you’ve entered your information, the calculator estimates your 401(k) balance at the time you retire, as well as the monthly payout you could expect to take from your account.

Expected monthly payout in retirement: Titan’s calculator uses the 4% rule to estimate your monthly payout from your 401(k) in retirement. Here’s how that works: We take your estimated final balance at retirement and multiply it by 0.04 to get your annual payout. Then, we divide that number by 12 to get your monthly payout. Note that the payout is before taxes, so remember to factor in your estimated income tax rate when budgeting for retirement.

What is a 401(k)?

A 401(k) plan is a tax-deferred retirement savings vehicle offered by employers as a way to help employees save for their retirement. It allows employees to direct a portion of their earnings into the account and defer paying income tax on it until they withdraw it in retirement.

Employees are offered a number of different investment options pre-selected by the employer, and any contributions made into the 401(k) account can then be invested into the funds chosen by the employee. Contributions are automatically deducted from employees’ paychecks, at whatever rate the employee selects.

With a traditional 401(k) plan, contributions are made with pretax dollars. Any qualifying funds contributed to a 401(k) plan throughout the year can be deducted from the investor’s total taxable income for that year.

What is an employer match?

Some—but not all—employers choose to match their employees’ contributions to their 401(k)s. Employers who match often match a percentage of their employees’ contributions. For example, a dollar-for-dollar match would be 100% of the employees’ contributions.

Employers usually set a limit on their match, either as a certain dollar amount or as a percentage of the employee’s salary. The IRS also limits the total contributions to 401(k) accounts. As of 2022, the IRS limits combined contributions to 401(k)s to the lesser of 100% of your compensation or $61,000 ($67,500 if age 50 or older).

What are the 2022 401(k) contribution limits?

The annual elective deferral limit for a 401(k) plan in 2022 is $20,500. However, employees 50 and older can make an annual catch-up contribution of $6,500, bringing their total limit to $27,000. If an employer chooses to match some or all of employee contributions, those employer contributions do not count toward the elective deferral limit. They do count toward the individual’s overall contribution limit, however; for 2022, this overall limit is the lesser of 100% of their compensation or $61,000 ($67,500 if age 50 or older).

What are catch up contributions?

To help bridge the gap between what they may not have saved early on in life, catch-up contributions allow people to contribute extra as they near retirement. A catch-up contribution is a contribution to a retirement savings plan that exceeds the annual limit. To be eligible to make a catch-up contribution, investors must be age 50 or older. They can start making catch-up contributions in the calendar year they turn 50, even if it’s before their 50th birthday.

The 2022 annual limit for a 401(k) plan is $20,500, but workers 50 and up can make an annual catch-up contribution of $6,500, bringing their overall limit to $27,000.