Do catch-up contributions apply to a 403(b) too?

Yes. The $8,000 catch-up and the $11,250 super catch-up apply to 403(b) and governmental 457(b) plans too.

What counts as prior-year wages for the Roth rule?

Wages from the employer sponsoring the plan, above $150,000 in the prior year. Your plan administrator applies the rule.

Yes. Turning 50 at any point in 2026 unlocks the full 2026 catch-up.

Yes. You need earned income at least equal to your contribution. The same rule covers the $1,100 catch-up.

Short answerAt 50, you can save extra in retirement accounts. The 2026 401(k) catch-up is $8,000, bringing the total to $32,500.

Workers 50 and older can add $8,000 on top of the $24,500 employee limit. That brings the 2026 total to $32,500.

The extra money lands in the same account. It follows the same tax rules as your regular contributions.

Counting employer match, total 2026 contributions cannot top $72,000.

Ages 60 through 63 get a bigger catch-up: $11,250. The 2026 total for those ages is $35,750.

The window is short, so these years matter. Extra contributions now grow for the rest of your career.

The 2026 IRA limit is $7,500 under 50. At 50 and older, a $1,100 catch-up raises it to $8,600.

The limit covers traditional and Roth IRAs combined. It is one bucket, not one per account.

At 55, you can add $1,000 to a health savings account. That lifts the limit to $5,400 single or $9,750 family.

Each spouse needs their own HSA for their own $1,000. One account cannot hold two catch-ups.

New for 2026: catch-up contributions must go to Roth if your prior-year wages topped $150,000.

You pay tax on Roth contributions now, and qualified withdrawals come out tax-free later.

Below $150,000 in prior-year wages, you keep the choice. Check last year's W-2 before you set contributions.