Quiz: Are You Ready for the 2026 401(k) Catch-Up Shakeup?

If you are 50 or older and a high earner, these new catch-up rules fundamentally change how your "extra" retirement savings are taxed and reported.

Donna LeValley's avatar
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Roth 401k plan text stacked on coins as retirement savings concept.
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After a two-year "administrative transition period" provided by the IRS, one of the SECURE 2.0 Act's most talked-about provisions — the Roth catch-up mandate — is now the law of the land.

If you are 50 or older and a high earner, these rules fundamentally change how your "extra" retirement savings are taxed and reported. Making a mistake here doesn't just mean a missed savings opportunity; it could lead to unexpected tax bills.

Follow the links below to learn more about Roth 401(k)s and the new catch-up provisions and how they impact your retirement income.

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More on Roth 401(k)s and catch-up rules:

Donna LeValley
Donna LeValley
Retirement Writer

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.