More people are saving for retirement than ever, and this year's numbers back that up: the average 401(k) saver, employer match included, put away 14.4% of their pay in early 2026, closing in on the 15% most advisors recommend.

The IRS also raised contribution limits for 2026 and expanded the catch-up rules, so there's more room to save at every stage of your career. Here's how to make the most of it, decade by decade.

Your 20s and 30s: Build the Habit

  • Get your full employer match, every paycheck. If your employer matches part of what you contribute, that's money you're owed, not a bonus. Skipping it is like turning down part of your salary.
  • Aim to have one year's salary saved by 30. It doesn't need to happen in a lump sum. Automate a percentage of every paycheck and you'll get there faster than trying to catch up later.
  • Open a Roth IRA now, while your tax bracket is still low. You're likely in one of the lowest tax brackets you'll ever be in. Paying tax on contributions now, and none later on withdrawals, works in your favor while your income is still climbing. The 2026 IRA limit is $7,500 for savers under 50.

Your 40s: Increase Your Rate as Income Grows

  • Push your combined savings rate toward 15%. That's the number most retirement research converges on. It's high enough to matter and realistic enough to sustain without wrecking your budget.
  • Use a simple benchmark to check your progress. Three times your salary saved by 40, six times by 50, is a reasonable target.
  • Redirect part of every raise toward retirement. Before a raise becomes part of your regular spending, send even half of it to your 401(k). The 2026 contribution limit is $24,500, up $1,000 from last year.

Your 50s and Early 60s: Use Catch-Up Contributions

  • Add catch-up contributions the year you turn 50. For 2026, that's an extra $8,000 in a 401(k) and $1,100 in an IRA, on top of the regular limits.
  • Take the bigger "super" catch-up if you're 60 to 63. This window lets you add $11,250 instead of the standard catch-up amount, one of the more generous provisions in the tax code right now.
  • Know the new Roth rule if you're a high earner. Starting in 2026, catch-up contributions from anyone 50 or older who earned more than $150,000 the year before have to go into a Roth account, after taxes, instead of pretax.

Approaching Retirement: Fine-Tune the Final Stretch

  • Weigh working two extra years. Retiring at 67 instead of 65, while saving 20% starting at 35, can raise how much of your income you can sustainably replace from 61% to 73%.
  • Keep funding your HSA if you have one. Healthcare is one of the biggest costs you'll face in retirement, and unlike a flexible spending account, an HSA balance rolls over indefinitely.
  • Review your beneficiaries every year. It takes a few minutes, and it's the easiest way to keep an outdated form from becoming a headache for your family later.

The Bottom Line

The details change by decade, but the fundamentals don't: get your full employer match, save consistently, and use catch-up contributions once you're eligible. This year's higher limits mean there's more room than ever to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

Sources: Fidelity Investments, Fidelity, IRS, IRS, Milliman