After 50 you can add catch-up contributions. See how much they add by retirement.
A catch-up contribution calculator shows how much the extra retirement contributions allowed after age 50 can add to your nest egg by the time you retire.
Starting the year you turn 50, the IRS lets you contribute an additional catch-up amount to 401(k)s and IRAs above the standard limit. Even though there are fewer years for it to compound, the extra contributions land during peak earning years and still grow meaningfully, this calculator isolates just that extra amount so you can see its impact.
With ten or fifteen years to retirement, catch-up contributions have less time to grow than early-career savings, but the effect is far from trivial: the combination of a larger annual amount and steady returns can add a substantial sum. Because these are often pre-tax dollars, they also lower your taxable income in your highest-earning years.
Extra retirement contributions allowed once you turn 50, above the normal annual limit, to help you save more as retirement nears. The IRS sets the limits, which change over time.
Yes, landing in peak earning years, they still compound meaningfully over a decade or more, and pre-tax versions cut your current taxable income.
Yes, the IRS adjusts them periodically. Enter your actual extra contribution above to project its impact.
See the exact formula and a worked example on our methodology page.