United States · Pension & Retirement
Retirement in the US combines employer-sponsored 401(k) plans (with their critical employer match — leaving it on the table is the single most common planning mistake), traditional and Roth IRAs for personal contributions, an HSA used as a stealth retirement account, and Social Security earned through 40 quarters of FICA-covered work. The claiming-age decision for Social Security is the biggest planning lever — claim at 62 and lose ~30% of the benefit permanently; delay to 70 and gain 24% over Full Retirement Age. The calculators in this hub project the 401(k) and IRA pots under different deferral rates and investment returns, compare traditional vs Roth at any tax rate, estimate Social Security benefits at different claiming ages, and size HSA contributions toward retirement healthcare costs.
401(k)
An employer-sponsored US retirement plan that lets employees defer a portion of pre-tax (or Roth post-tax) salary into invested accounts, often with a company match.
Roth IRA
A US individual retirement account funded with post-tax dollars where investment growth and qualified withdrawals are entirely tax-free.
Social Security
The US federal retirement, disability, and survivor benefit program, funded by FICA payroll tax and paying out monthly benefits based on lifetime earnings.
Traditional IRA
A US individual retirement account funded with pre-tax dollars, where contributions are tax-deductible and withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income.
The 2026 401(k) contribution limits — $24,500 base, $7,500 catch-up at 50, $11,250 super catch-up at 60-63 — plus employer match and Roth 401(k) rules.
Roth and Traditional IRAs taxed differently — pre-tax now or tax-free later. How to choose between them in 2026 based on current vs future tax rate and income limits.