2026 IRA & 401(k) Contribution Limits: What Changed and How to Use It

Each year the IRS adjusts retirement contribution limits for inflation, and for 2026 most of the key numbers moved up. If you save through a workplace plan or an IRA, a higher ceiling is only useful if you actually adjust your contributions to capture it — a limit that rises while your savings rate stays flat quietly leaves growth on the table. Here's what changed, with the figures and the planning ideas worth acting on.

All figures below come from the IRS announcement of 2026 limits (IRS, "401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500," Nov. 13, 2025).

Workplace plans (401(k), 403(b), most 457s, TSP)

The employee deferral limit for 2026 rose to $24,500, up from $23,500 in 2025. The standard catch-up contribution for those age 50 and older is $8,000, bringing their total to $32,500.

There's a special provision for savers in their early 60s: under SECURE 2.0, participants who are ages 60, 61, 62, and 63 get a higher "super catch-up" of $11,250 instead of $8,000 — allowing a total of $35,750 for 2026.

Traditional and Roth IRAs

The IRA contribution limit increased to $7,500 for 2026, up from $7,000. The catch-up for those 50 and older is $1,100, for a total of $8,600. This single limit applies across all your personal IRAs combined, whether traditional, Roth, or a mix.

Roth IRA income phase-outs

Roth IRA eligibility still phases out at higher incomes. For 2026, the phase-out range is $153,000–$168,000 for single filers and heads of household, and $242,000–$252,000 for married couples filing jointly. Above the top of the range, direct Roth contributions aren't permitted.

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

If you (or your spouse) are covered by a retirement plan at work, your ability to deduct traditional IRA contributions phases out over these 2026 ranges: $81,000–$91,000 for single filers covered by a workplace plan; $129,000–$149,000 for married couples filing jointly where the contributing spouse is covered; and $242,000–$252,000 for a contributor not covered but married to someone who is.

One important change for higher earners

Beginning in 2026, a SECURE 2.0 rule takes effect: if your prior-year FICA (Social Security) wages exceeded $150,000, your age-based catch-up contributions in a workplace plan must be made as Roth (after-tax) contributions rather than pre-tax. If this applies to you, it's worth confirming your plan actually offers a Roth option — if it doesn't, you may not be able to make catch-up contributions until the plan adds one.

How to put this to work

A few practical takeaways, none of which are one-size-fits-all:

The simplest high-value move is to raise your deferral to match the new ceiling if your budget allows — automating the increase so it happens every pay period removes the temptation to skip it. If you're between 60 and 63, the super catch-up is a meaningful, time-limited window to add to retirement savings before you stop working. And if your income sits near a phase-out range, the specific dollar thresholds matter for whether a Roth contribution or a traditional deduction is even available to you this year — which is exactly the kind of detail worth checking before you contribute.

These limits are the same for everyone, but how you use them depends on your income, tax situation, time horizon, and what other accounts you have. That coordination — across a 401(k), IRA, Social Security timing, and your broader plan — is where the figures turn into an actual strategy.