Retirement Planning
401(k), IRA, Roth accounts, pension plans, withdrawal strategies, required minimum distributions, and how much you need to retire.
Latest in Retirement Planning
A stay-at-home spouse with no paycheck can still put $7,000 into an IRA this year — a spousal account most couples don’t realize the tax code allows
Sarah Chen left her marketing job three years ago to raise her twin toddlers in suburban Denver. Her husband, James, maxes out his own 401(k)...
Leftover money in a child’s 529 college fund can now roll into their Roth IRA — up to $35,000, tax-free, instead of taking the old withdrawal penalty
You saved diligently in a 529 plan for 18 years, and then your kid earned a scholarship that covered half the bill. Great news for...
Workers can stash $7,000 in an IRA this year — and anyone 50 or older can add another $1,000 that most eligible savers never bother to claim
If you turned 50 this year and have an IRA, the IRS is offering you an extra $1,000 in tax-advantaged contribution room on top of...
A family can now shield $8,750 a year from taxes in a health savings account — and after age 65 it works like a second 401(k) most workers never open
The 2026 health savings account limits are now in effect, and for the first time, a family on a high-deductible health plan can contribute up...
401(k) millionaires just hit a record 665,000 as the market climbs — yet half of American workers have less than $45,000 saved for retirement
Somewhere in America, 665,000 people have crossed the million-dollar mark in their 401(k) accounts. That is the highest number Fidelity Investments has ever recorded, based...
Starting in 2027, the government will deposit up to $1,000 a year straight into the retirement accounts of low- and middle-income savers — free money most don’t know is coming
Imagine putting $2,000 into your Roth IRA this year and finding an extra $1,000 from the federal government sitting in the same account a few...
401(k) catch-up contributions jump to $11,250 for workers aged 60 to 63 this year — a new “super catch-up” most eligible savers don’t even know exists
Turn 60, 61, 62, or 63 at any point this year and the IRS lets you contribute up to $11,250 in catch-up money to your...
The average 401(k) balance hit a record $168,000 last year — and a record 6% of workers also pulled hardship cash from their accounts, mostly to stop foreclosure
The average 401(k) balance climbed to an all-time high of $168,000 in 2024, according to Fidelity Investments’ quarterly retirement analysis. In the same year, a...
401(k) plans can now hold private equity for the first time — Trump’s executive order opens $9 trillion in retirement money to assets that don’t trade on public markets
A 35-year-old software engineer in Austin who has never picked a single fund in her 401(k) could soon own a slice of a private equity...
Hardship withdrawals from 401(k) accounts just hit a record — up 252% since COVID, because everyday bills are eating retirement savings
The money was supposed to be for retirement. Instead, it is going to back rent, emergency room copays, and grocery bills that keep climbing. Across...
Every generation cut 401(k) contributions this year except Gen Z — they raised theirs to 6.2%, and 57% say multiple income streams are now essential
While workers across every other age group quietly dialed back their retirement savings over the past year, Gen Z did the opposite. The youngest full-time...
Gen Z is the only generation still increasing 401(k) contributions — they bumped theirs to 6.2% while boomers, millennials, and Gen X all pulled back for the first time in 3 years
A 25-year-old earning $50,000 is now putting roughly $3,100 a year into a retirement account. That figure, on its own, is easy to dismiss. But...
Every generation cut 401(k) contributions this year except Gen Z — they raised theirs to 6.2% while boomers, Gen X, and millennials all pulled back
Workers under 28 are doing something their older colleagues are not: putting more money into their 401(k) plans. A Dayforce report published in spring 2026...
Workers cut 401(k) contributions for the first time in 3 years — except Gen Z, who raised theirs to 6.2%
After three years of steady increases, American workers are pulling back on 401(k) contributions. The average deferral rate across all age groups slipped to approximately...
Retirement net worth benchmarks show how your savings stack up
A 55-year-old couple with $400,000 saved for retirement might feel they are doing fine, or falling behind, depending on which benchmark they use. The Federal...
Retirement costs shift after 70 as health care and housing loom larger
The mortgage is gone. The retirement party is a distant memory. And yet for millions of Americans past 70, the most expensive years may still...
Mega backdoor Roth lets high earners move up to $47,500 via after-tax 401(k)
A software engineer in Seattle earning $260,000 maxes out her 401(k) at $24,500 and still watches her paycheck clear every two weeks with no additional...
Microsoft offers 1st-ever U.S. retirement buyouts to thousands
For the first time in its 51-year history, Microsoft is offering voluntary retirement packages to thousands of U.S. employees, asking roughly 8,750 workers to decide...
Comparing Roth IRAs, traditional IRAs, and 401(k)s across incomes
A 28-year-old teacher earning $50,000 can stash money away in a Roth IRA, traditional IRA, or workplace 401(k) and choose freely among them. Meanwhile, a...
The FIRE movement promised retirement by 45: is it still achievable in 2026?
The FIRE movement, short for Financial Independence, Retire Early, once captured the imagination of millions of savers who believed they could leave the workforce decades...