At 50, the IRS lets you contribute above the normal retirement plan limits. From 60 to 63, the extra room is larger still. This is the last and biggest window to close a savings gap before you stop working, and using it fully can add hundreds of thousands of dollars over a decade of compounding.

If you're 50 or older, you can make catch-up contributions to most workplace plans:

• 401(k) plans (other than SIMPLE 401(k)s)
• 403(b) plans
• SARSEP plans
• Governmental 457(b) plans
• The federal Thrift Savings Plan

Workplace plan catch-up limits

For 2026, the catch-up is $8,000 on top of the $24,500 standard limit, so your employee contribution limit is:

If you turn 60, 61, 62, or 63 during 2026 and your plan allows it, you get a "super" catch-up of $11,250 instead of $8,000, raising your total to $35,750. At 64 you drop back to the standard catch-up.

One newer rule affects higher earners. If your prior-year FICA (Social Security) wages from the employer that sponsors your plan were more than $150,000, your catch-up contributions must be made on a Roth basis, under final SECURE 2.0 regulations issued in September 2025. The $150,000 threshold is per employer, not your total wages across all jobs, which matters if you changed jobs or work more than one. If your plan has no Roth option, affected high earners generally can't make catch-up contributions at all until it adds one.

These limits also apply to uniformed servicemembers, and contributions from tax-free combat pay still do not count toward them, so deployed servicemembers can save even more.

Why maxing the catch-up matters

• If your employer matches, catch-up contributions can capture more of that match.
• Even with no match, contributing pre-tax lowers your taxable income for the year.
• Every extra year invested is another year of compound growth, which matters most in the decade before retirement.

IRA catch-up limits

The standard IRA contribution limit is $7,500 for 2026, up from $7,000 in 2025. The age-50 catch-up, now indexed to inflation, brings the total to:

This applies to traditional and Roth IRAs combined. To qualify for a catch-up in any tax year, you must turn 50 by December 31 of that year.

Total contribution limits (employee plus employer)

The catch-up raises your personal limit, but there is also a combined cap on everything going into a workplace plan, your deferrals plus the employer match plus any after-tax contributions:

Roth vs. traditional for your catch-up

Whether your catch-up should be Roth or pre-tax depends on your tax bracket now versus in retirement. A Roth contribution is taxed now for tax-free withdrawals later, which helps if you expect a higher rate in retirement. A traditional (pre-tax) contribution gives you the deduction now, which helps if you expect a lower rate. If you already contribute to a traditional plan, you can point future contributions to a Roth option without converting the existing balance. (See also Roth vs. traditional IRA.)

Income phase-out ranges

Your income can limit a deductible traditional IRA contribution, a Roth IRA contribution, or the Saver's Credit. Here are the 2025 and 2026 ranges.

Traditional IRA deduction phase-out (if covered by a workplace plan)

Roth IRA contribution phase-out

Bottom line

If you're behind, catch-up contributions are the most powerful lever you have left. Contribute as much as you can toward the limit, use the larger super catch-up in the years you're eligible, and if your wages topped $150,000 last year, plan for your catch-up to go in as Roth. A Certified Financial Planner can help you decide how aggressively to fund the last stretch, especially if you're starting late.

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