401(k) Catch-Up Contribution FAQs: Your Top Questions Answered (2026 Rules)
Got questions about 401(k) catch-up contributions? You’re not alone. With updated 2025 limits and new Roth rules on the horizon, this article answers the most common questions about who qualifies, how much you can contribute, and what strategic moves to consider in your 50s and early 60s.
401(k) Catch-Up Contributions Explained: Maximize Your Retirement Savings in 2026
Turning 50? It’s time to boost your retirement savings.
This article breaks down the updated 2025 401(k) catch-up contribution limits, new rules for ages 60–63, and whether pre-tax or Roth contributions make the most sense for your situation.
New Age 60 – 63 401(k) Enhanced Catch-up Contribution Starting in 2025
Good news for 401(k) and 403(b) plan participants turning age 60 – 63 starting in 2025: there is now an enhanced employee catch-up contribution thanks to Secure Act 2.0 that passed back in 2022. For 2025, the employee contributions limits are as follows: Employee Deferral Limit $23,500, Age 50+ Catch-up Limit $7,500, and the New Age 60 – 63 Catch-up: $3,750.
Starting in 2024, 401(k) Plan Will Be Required to Cover Part-time Employees
In the past, companies have been allowed to limit access to their 401(k) plan to just full-time employees but that is about to change starting in 2024. With the passing of the Secure Act, beginning in 2024, companies that sponsor 401(K) plans will be required to allow part-time employees to participate in their qualified retirement plans.
Fewer 401(k) Plans Will Require A 5500 Audit Starting in 2023
401(K) plans with over 100 eligible plan participants are considered “large plans” in the eyes of DOL and require an audit to be completed each year with the filing of their 5500. These audits can be costly, often ranging from $8,000 - $30,000 per year.
Starting in 2023, there is very good news for an estimated 20,000 401(k) plans that were previously subject to the 5500 audit requirement. Due to a recent change in the way that the DOL counts the number of plan participants for purposes of assessing a large plan filer status, many plans that were previously subject to a 401(k) audit, will no longer require a 5500 audit for plan year 2023 and beyond.
3 New Startup 401(k) Tax Credits
When Congress passed the Secure Act 2.0 in December 2022, they introduced new tax credits and enhanced old tax credits for startup 401(k) plans for plan years 2023 and beyond. There are now 3 different tax credits that are available, all in the same year, for startup 401(k) plans that now only help companies to subsidize the cost of sponsoring a retirement plan but also to offset employer contributions made to the employee to enhance a company’s overall benefits package.
Secure Act 2.0: RMD Start Age Pushed Back to 73 Starting in 2023
On December 23, 2022, Congress passed the Secure Act 2.0, which moved the required minimum distribution (RMD) age from the current age of 72 out to age 73 starting in 2023. They also went one step further and included in the new law bill an automatic increase in the RMD beginning in 2033, extending the RMD start age to 75.
401K Loans: Pros vs Cons
There are a number of pros and cons associated with taking a loan from your 401K plan. There are definitely situations where taking a 401(k) loan makes sense but there are also number of situations where it should be avoided.
