401k retirement calculator

Calculating your 401(k) contributions and growth involves a few steps:

1. Determine your contribution percentage: Decide what percentage of your salary you want to contribute to your 401(k) each pay period. This is often a percentage of your pre-tax income.

2. Calculate your contribution amount: Multiply your salary by your chosen contribution percentage to determine how much money you’ll be putting into your 401(k) each pay period.

3. Consider employer match: If your employer offers a matching contribution, factor that into your calculation. For example, if your employer matches 50% of your contributions up to 6% of your salary, and you contribute 6% of your salary, your employer will add an additional 3% of your salary to your 401(k).

4. Project investment growth: Estimate the average annual rate of return on your investments within your 401(k). This rate will vary depending on the types of investments you choose within your 401(k) plan, such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds.

5. Use a compound interest formula: Use a compound interest formula or a retirement calculator to project the growth of your contributions over time. This will show you how your contributions, combined with investment growth, will accumulate in your 401(k) over the years.

By following these steps, you can calculate how much money you’ll be contributing to your 401(k) and estimate its growth over time based on your contributions and investment returns.