401(k) Employer-Match Optimizer

Step 1

Set your plan terms

Ready

Use your plan document and pay-stub values where available. Inputs stay in your browser and are not saved or sent anywhere.

Pay and contribution

Annual salary

Modeled eligible pay for the year

Pay periods per year

For example, 24 or 26

Remaining pay periods

Paychecks left this year

Employee contribution input

Use a rate or dollar amount per paycheck

Employee contribution

Your elected percentage of pay

Employer match tiers

Enter each tier as the highest employee salary percentage covered by that tier. Example: 100% up to 3%, then 50% from 3% to 6%.

First tier ceiling

Employee salary percentage

First tier match rate

Employer % of that deferral

Add a second match tier

Second tier ceiling

Must be above the first ceiling

Second tier match rate

Employer % of that deferral

Year-to-date and match timing

YTD employee contributions

Employee deferrals already made

YTD employer contributions

Match already credited

Match timing

How the plan applies your entered match

Model a possible year-end true-up

Only select this when your plan document says a true-up is available.

Annual limit

Employee elective-deferral limit (2026 starting value)

User-editable; verify the current IRS and plan limits

Method note: see the IRS contribution guidance and 401(k) limit guidance. The plan document controls.

Step 2 / modeled estimate

Average employee contribution per paycheck

$300.00

Employer match modeled at $225.00 per remaining paycheck · per-pay-period matching

Employee contribution this year$7,200

Employer contribution this year$5,400

Effective match rate75%

Read the model notes

With per-pay-period matching and no true-up modeled, front-loading can reduce the employer match when later pay periods have no employee contribution.

Front-load comparison

Front-loading puts the same modeled employee dollars into the earliest remaining paychecks, capped at modeled gross pay per paycheck.

Needed to capture modeled full match$7,200

Even-schedule employer match$5,400

Front-loaded employer match$450

Match without modeled true-up$450

Modeled front-load difference: $4,950 less employer match before a true-up. Actual results depend on the plan document.

Read assumptions and plan limits

The estimate assumes annual salary is spread evenly over the entered pay periods, employee contributions are made at period end, and match tiers apply incrementally to employee deferrals. The annual limit is user-editable and only employee deferrals are capped here.

This tool does not infer vesting, eligible compensation, discretionary contributions, catch-up contributions, other statutory limits, payroll timing, or a true-up. Your plan document and current IRS guidance control.

Read IRS retirement contribution guidance.

401(k) match questions

What does this 401(k) optimizer assume?

It assumes eligible pay is distributed evenly across the entered pay periods, contributions are made at the end of each period, and the match tiers you enter apply to that pay. It does not infer vesting, eligible compensation, discretionary contributions, or true-up terms.

Why can front-loading reduce a match?

With per-pay-period matching, a plan may calculate each match from that paycheck’s employee contribution. Contributing early and then stopping can leave later pay periods with no modeled match. A plan document may provide a true-up, but this tool does not infer one.

Which contribution limit applies?

The limit field is labeled with a 2026 starting value and remains editable. Verify the current IRS limit and your plan rules. Catch-up contributions and other limits are not modeled here.