457(b) deposits, limits and projected savings
The first-year cards show actual modeled deposits after the combined cap, rather than requested amounts before limits. Employer deposits reserve part of that cap first. Today’s purchasing-power balance discounts the future value by the selected inflation assumption. Every amount is in US dollars and is before withdrawal taxes.
To compare how different fee assumptions affect the same investment, use the Investment Fee Calculator .
The formula
Each contribution year uses the age you reach in that year and eligible compensation after salary growth. Combined deposits cannot exceed the modeled cap or annual compensation. Deposits are split evenly into twelve end-of-month payments. The retirement year itself has no modeled contributions.
One contribution year without market growth
Enter age 35, retirement age 36, current balance 10,000, salary 60,000, employee contribution 10%, employer contribution 2%, return 0%, fees 0% and salary increase 0%. Employee deposits are 6,000 and employer deposits 1,200, giving a projected balance of 17,200.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the age reached this calendar year, retirement age, balance and eligible compensation.
- Choose salary-percentage or fixed monthly employee contributions; enter any actual employer contribution percentage.
- Select governmental or nongovernmental 457(b), and a constant 2026 or custom combined-cap assumption.
- If your plan permits special catch-up, enter its normal retirement age and confirmed eligible unused prior-year deferrals.
- Adjust return, fees, salary growth and inflation, then review capped deposits, what makes up the balance and the annual table.
Use a combined cap for employee and employer deposits
457(b) contributions share a cap across employee deferrals and employer contributions. Enter the employer’s actual contribution as a percentage of eligible compensation. This is different from a match formula such as fifty percent of employee deposits. The planner reserves the entered employer amount first, then caps the employee request to the space left.
The constant-2026 policy uses a 24,500 base limit. When a governmental plan permits age catch-up, the modeled cap is 32,500 at ages fifty through fifty-nine and sixty-four onward, and 35,750 at ages sixty through sixty-three. Nongovernmental plans do not receive that age-based increase. Annual eligible compensation can impose a lower cap.
Separate today’s rules from a future projection
Holding 2026 limits constant is a scenario assumption, not a forecast of future IRS adjustments. The custom combined-cap option uses the same entered amount for every modeled year. Under 2026 limits, the optional special catch-up uses a plan-confirmed unused prior-year allowance in the three calendar years before the plan’s normal retirement age. It can raise the cap by at most another 24,500 per year, subject to the allowance remaining.
Returns, salary growth and inflation are also assumptions. Net annual growth is converted to a monthly factor, with twelve equal end-of-month deposits. The table makes deposit restrictions visible alongside growth; it does not estimate withdrawal taxes, plan distribution rules, vesting or investment risk. For tax-exempt nongovernmental plans, asset-creditor rules require separate attention.
Model special catch-up without adding two allowances
Special pre-retirement catch-up can apply to either governmental or tax-exempt nongovernmental 457(b) plans when the plan permits it. Governmental participants cannot add age-based and special catch-up together in the same year. This planner uses the higher available cap and preserves the unused deferral pool when the age-based cap is used.
Only actual combined deposits above the 24,500 base consume the confirmed pool when special catch-up is selected. The annual table identifies the chosen provision. The tool does not reconstruct historical eligibility or add newly underused future-year allowances; enter your administrator-confirmed prior-year amount and normal retirement age.
Assumptions & limitations
What this calculation assumes
- Each projection year is a full contribution year before retirement; age means age attained that calendar year.
- The selected 2026 limits or custom cap remain constant in nominal dollars throughout the scenario.
- Employer deposits are fully vested in the projection and are reserved before employee deferrals.
What to keep in mind
- Historical eligibility, future underused deferral allowances, Roth catch-up requirements, taxes, vesting and distributions are not calculated.
- Governmental and nongovernmental plan provisions can differ. Confirm eligible compensation, employer deposits and applicable caps with your plan administrator.
- Future returns and IRS limits can change; this calculation supplies a scenario rather than a guaranteed retirement outcome.
Common questions
Do employer contributions use the same 457(b) limit?
Yes. This model applies the combined cap to both sources and reduces employee deposits when the employer contribution uses part of it.
Does the age-50 catch-up apply to a nongovernmental plan?
No. Age-based catch-up applies only to a governmental 457(b) that permits it. Both plan types can permit the separate special pre-retirement catch-up modeled using your confirmed unused deferrals.
Does the projection automatically predict future IRS limits?
No. Hold 2026 limits constant uses the verified 2026 amounts for every year; Custom uses your entered combined cap. Both are labeled assumptions.
Can I combine age-based and special three-year catch-up?
No. In a governmental 457(b), the model uses the higher available cap for that year. Special catch-up is limited to the three years before plan normal retirement age and the eligible unused deferrals you enter.
Sources & further reading
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