By Christian Campbell, Business Development Manager | Updated October 30, 2026

The end of the year is a natural deadline for retirement savings. Most workplace plan contributions for 2026 must come out of a paycheck by December 31. If you’re changing jobs, turning 50, or just haven’t looked at your contribution rate since you enrolled, a few minutes now can help you make fuller use of the accounts available to you.

Here are six items to review before the year ends.

1. Know this year’s limits

The IRS raised most retirement plan limits for 2026:

• 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 plans: $24,500 in employee contributions

• Catch-up, age 50 and older: an additional $8,000, for a total of $32,500

• Catch-up, ages 60 to 63: an additional $11,250 instead of $8,000, if your plan offers it

• Traditional and Roth IRAs: $7,500, plus a $1,100 catch-up at age 50 and older

The IRS usually announces the following year’s limits in the fall. The 2027 limits had not been released as of this writing.

2. Check your pace through December

Look at your year-to-date contributions on your most recent pay stub. Then count the paychecks left in the year. If you want to reach the limit, you may need to raise your contribution percentage for the remaining pay periods. Most employers need a few days’ notice, so make the change early in December.

If your employer offers a match, check how it is calculated. Some plans match each paycheck, so reaching the limit early in the year can mean missing part of the match. Your plan’s summary plan description explains how yours works.

3. Turning 50 or 60 this year? Your catch-up applies now

You’re eligible for catch-up contributions for the full year in which you reach the qualifying age, even if your birthday is in December. If you turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 in 2026, ask your plan whether it offers the higher catch-up amount.

4. High earners: your catch-up may now be Roth

Starting in 2026, if your FICA wages from your employer were more than $150,000 in 2025, any catch-up contributions you make must go in as Roth (after-tax) contributions. Your regular contributions up to $24,500 can still be pre-tax. This doesn’t reduce how much you can save, but it changes the tax treatment, so the change may show up as a smaller paycheck than you expected.

5. Changed jobs? Decide what to do with the old account

If you left an employer this year, you generally have four options for that 401(k): leave it in the old plan, move it to your new employer’s plan, roll it to an IRA, or cash it out. Each option has different costs, investment choices, and protections. Cashing out usually triggers income tax and may add a 10% penalty if you’re under 59½. Our article Should you roll over your 401(k) to an advisor-managed account? compares them.

Also check that your contributions across both jobs don’t exceed the annual employee limit. The $24,500 limit applies to you, not to each plan.

6. You still have until April 15 for IRAs

IRA contributions for 2026 can generally be made until the tax filing deadline, April 15, 2027. Whether a traditional IRA contribution is deductible, or whether you can contribute to a Roth IRA directly, depends on your income and whether you’re covered by a workplace plan. A tax professional can help you check where you fall.

Bringing it together

The right contribution level depends on your cash flow, your other goals, and your tax picture now and in retirement. If you’d like help looking at how your workplace plan fits into the rest of your finances, talk to an advisor on our Lake Norman team.

This information is educational and is not individualized investment, tax or legal advice. Inspire Advisors, LLC does not provide tax or legal advice; please consult a qualified tax professional about your situation. Investment advisory services offered through Inspire Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.