What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?

$24,500 of your own pay, plus a catch-up of $8,000 if you are 50 or older, or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63 if your plan offers it. Employer contributions are on top, up to an overall limit set in the same IRS notice.

What is the IRA contribution limit for 2026?

$7,500, plus $1,100 if you are 50 or older, across all your traditional and Roth IRAs combined. Roth contributions phase out between $153,000 to $168,000 of income for single filers and $242,000 to $252,000 for married couples filing jointly.

What is the HSA contribution limit for 2026?

$4,400 for self-only coverage and $8,750 for family coverage, plus $1,000 if you are 55 or older. You need a high-deductible health plan with a deductible of at least $1,700 (self-only) or $3,400 (family).

Tax-advantaged accounts, US

401(k), IRA, Roth and HSA in 2026: the limits, the differences, and the order to fill them

A tax-advantaged account is the same investment with a tax break attached. The breaks differ, and so do the limits, which the IRS adjusts every year. Here are the 2026 figures from the IRS's own notices, and a simple order for using them.

Updated October 29, 20269 min readData as of IRS Notice 2025-67 and Rev. Proc. 2025-19 (tax year 2026)

The short version

2026 limits: $24,500 in a 401(k), $7,500 in IRAs, $4,400 or $8,750 in an HSA, with catch-ups from age 50 (or 55 for the HSA).¹²
Traditional accounts cut this year's tax; Roth accounts make withdrawals in retirement tax-free. An HSA does both if the money goes to medical costs.
A common order: the 401(k) up to the employer match, then the HSA, then an IRA, then the rest of the 401(k), then a taxable account.
The tax break is worth the most on money you would have invested anyway. Fill the accounts with the same broad, low-cost funds you would hold outside them.

The 2026 limits

The IRS announced the 2026 retirement limits in November 2025 and the HSA limits in May 2025. The employee limit for 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans and the federal Thrift Savings Plan rose to $24,500. The IRA limit rose to $7,500, and the IRA catch-up for people 50 and over is now indexed, at $1,100.¹ HSA limits are $4,400 for self-only coverage and $8,750 for family coverage.²

Account	2026 limit	Age 50+ catch-up	Notes
401(k), 403(b), 457, TSP	$24,500	$8,000 ($11,250 at 60–63)	Employee deferrals; employer contributions are extra
Traditional and Roth IRA (combined)	$7,500	$1,100	Roth has income limits; traditional deduction has income limits if you have a workplace plan
HSA, self-only coverage	$4,400	$1,000 from age 55	Needs a high-deductible plan: deductible at least $1,700, out-of-pocket cap $8,500
HSA, family coverage	$8,750	$1,000 from age 55	Deductible at least $3,400, out-of-pocket cap $17,000
SIMPLE IRA	$17,000	$4,000	Small-employer plans; some plans allow $18,100

Sources: IRS IR-2025-111 and Notice 2025-67;¹ IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19;² HSA catch-up from Internal Revenue Code section 223.³ The higher 60-to-63 catch-up is optional for plans.

$36,400Under 50401(k) + IRA + HSA (self)

$45,50050 to 54with 50+ catch-ups

$46,50055 to 59plus HSA catch-up

$49,75060 to 63higher 401(k) catch-up

What one person with a workplace plan, an IRA and self-only HSA coverage can contribute in 2026, by age, using the limits above. Employer contributions are on top. Source: IRS.¹²

Traditional, Roth, and the HSA

Every account here shelters investment growth from tax while the money stays inside. They differ in when the tax is paid.

Traditional 401(k) and traditional IRA

Contributions reduce this year's taxable income. Withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income, and generally there is a 10% penalty before age 59½ with some exceptions. If you or your spouse has a workplace plan, the deduction for a traditional IRA phases out with income: for 2026, between $81,000 to $91,000 for single filers covered by a plan, and $129,000 to $149,000 for a covered spouse filing jointly ($242,000 to $252,000 if only the other spouse is covered).¹

Roth 401(k) and Roth IRA

Contributions are made with money already taxed. Qualified withdrawals, including all the growth, are tax-free. A Roth IRA can be contributed to only below an income limit: for 2026 the phase-out is $153,000 to $168,000 for single filers and heads of household, and $242,000 to $252,000 for married couples filing jointly.¹ A Roth 401(k) has no income limit. Roth contributions (not earnings) to an IRA can be withdrawn at any time without tax or penalty, which makes a Roth IRA a reasonable second-tier emergency reserve once a cash fund exists.

Health savings account

An HSA is the only account with three breaks: contributions are deductible, growth is untaxed, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free. It requires a high-deductible health plan, and the money rolls over year to year. After 65, withdrawals for anything are taxed like a traditional IRA, with no penalty. If you can pay current medical bills from cash and let the HSA invest, it works as a retirement account with a medical bonus.²³

Which to choose

The rule of thumb: pay tax when your rate is lowest. Early in a career, or in any low-income year, Roth contributions lock in a low rate. In peak earning years, traditional contributions avoid a high rate now. Many people hold both, which also leaves a choice of which to draw from in retirement. The Saver's Credit adds a direct credit for lower incomes: in 2026 it is available up to $80,500 of income for joint filers, $60,375 for heads of household, and $40,250 for singles.¹

A sensible order

401(k) up to the full employer match. A 50% or 100% match is an immediate return no investment offers. The SEC's Investor.gov puts this first for a reason.⁴
Clear high-interest debt and fund a cash cushion. Card interest above 20% beats any expected market return. Our guide on credit card debt covers the order.
HSA, if you have a high-deductible plan. Three tax breaks and no use-it-or-lose-it rule.
IRA, Roth or traditional, to the limit. An IRA usually offers lower-cost funds than a workplace plan.
The rest of the 401(k) limit.
A taxable brokerage account for anything beyond that, with index funds that distribute little taxable income.

Automating each step is the habit that makes the order hold; see our guide on money habits that last. What to put inside the accounts is a separate question, and the long-run record in our guide on S&P 500 returns is the usual starting point.

Common mistakes

Leaving the match on the table. Contributing less than the match threshold forfeits part of your pay.
Holding cash in the account. Money contributed to an IRA or HSA sits in cash until you choose investments. Check.
Cashing out when changing jobs. A direct rollover to an IRA or the new plan keeps the tax shelter; a cheque to you can trigger tax and the 10% penalty.
Exceeding a limit. Contributions across all IRAs count toward one $7,500 limit; two jobs' 401(k)s count toward one $24,500 limit. Excess contributions carry a 6% tax each year they stay in.
Ignoring fees. Plan and fund fees compound against you for decades. A fund charging 0.05% and one charging 0.75% hold the same stocks.

Canadian readers have a parallel set of accounts with different rules; see TFSA, RRSP, FHSA and RESP in 2026.

Sources

Internal Revenue Service. IR-2025-111: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026; IRA limit increases to $7,500 (Notice 2025-67)
Internal Revenue Service. Revenue Procedure 2025-19: 2026 inflation-adjusted amounts for health savings accounts
Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. 26 U.S. Code § 223, Health savings accounts (additional contributions for individuals 55 or older)
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Investor.gov. Retirement toolkit: first job

This guide is general information, not financial, tax, or investment advice. Rules and limits change; check the sources for the current figures before acting.

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