Eight weeks to 31 December: the 2026 401(k), IRA and RMD limits and deadlines, and the new Roth catch-up rule
The window to use this year's 401(k) limit closes with your last paycheck of 2026, and required minimum distributions are due by 31 December. This is also the first year higher earners' catch-up contributions must go in as Roth. This report sets out the 2026 limits, which deadlines fall in December and which run to April, and the paycheck maths to reach them.
There are about eight weeks left in 2026, and for many Americans only three or four paychecks. That is the window to make full use of this year’s 401(k) limit, which is US$1,000 higher than last year’s. It is also the first year a new rule applies to workers who earned more than US$150,000 last year: their catch-up contributions must now be made on an after-tax Roth basis.
This report brings the 2026 numbers together in one place: the 401(k), IRA and SIMPLE limits, the catch-up amounts at 50 and at 60 to 63, the income ranges for Roth IRAs and IRA deductions, and the rules for required minimum distributions. It sets out which deadlines close on 31 December and which run until April, and works through the paycheck maths with examples, so you can see what you need to change and when.
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