Ready, set, Roth: How 401(k) catch-ups are changing in 2026

Published 5 Min Read

After delaying a rule requiring high-income 401(k) savers aged 50 or older to make catch-up contributions in Roth accounts, the IRS has signaled that it will take effect starting next year.

That gives financial advisers working with 401(k) sponsors or clients earning more than $145,000 less than two months to ensure a Roth account is available and help those clients decide whether to contribute to it, noted Jay Cirame, vice president of ERISA consulting at Sentinel Group, a Wakefield, Massachusetts-based registered investment advisory firm. The IRS confirmed in September that traditional 401(k) plan catch-up contributions will no longer be available for those above the income threshold, after its 2023 relief from the rule pushed the Secure 2.0 Act provision’s effective date to 2026.

Tobias Salinger
Chief Correspondent

Tobias Salinger is Financial Planning's chief correspondent, with nearly a decade of experience covering wealth management, regulation and the business of financial advice. He specializes in … Read full bio


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