2026 elective deferrals rise to $24,500; age 50+ catch-up $8,000

What happened

The IRS Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) tables for retirement-plan dollar limitations list elective deferrals for 2026 at $24,500, up from $23,500 in 2025. That figure is the published employee elective-deferral ceiling for 401(k), 403(b), and similar plans — not a recommendation to defer any amount, not a product pitch, and not personalized tax or retirement advice. Educational finance only.

On the same COLA page, catch-up contributions for participants age 50 and up rise to $8,000 (was $7,500). Under SECURE 2.0, a higher catch-up limit applies for employees who turn 60, 61, 62, or 63 in the calendar year; for 2026 that higher catch-up is $11,250 instead of $8,000. The defined contribution plan limit is $72,000 for 2026 (was $70,000). Ceilings and definitions, not a recommendation. No tickers. No “max this.” The comic is the $24,500 chalk, the deferral-form stamp, the catch-up stickies, and a COLA calendar that says educational not advice. Color on the jars and the chalk. White gutters. Ignore any wrong prior-year figures or slogan lines that may appear inside artwork; the verified IRS lines are elective deferrals $23,500 (2025) to $24,500 (2026), catch-up $7,500 to $8,000, ages 60–63 higher catch-up $11,250, and DC plan limit $72,000.

Educational finance here labels published caps so a reader can find them on IRS.gov instead of on a slideshow. Prior days filed key-employee and other COLA lids. Today’s board is the elective-deferral and catch-up lines most workplace savers actually see on a 401(k) election form. Keep politics out. Keep the source URL on the page.

Why it matters

An elective-deferral dollar limit is a different animal from key-employee and defined-benefit lines filed earlier. Readers get $24,500 for 2026 (was $23,500), age-50+ catch-up $8,000 (was $7,500), ages 60–63 higher catch-up $11,250, and DC plan limit $72,000 — framed as published contribution ceilings, not advice. Bright teal and gold. White gutters. Stick to the IRS COLA page numbers and skip product pitches.

Conclusion

For 2026, the IRS prints elective deferrals of $24,500 (up from $23,500), catch-up contributions of $8,000 for age 50 and up (up from $7,500), a higher ages 60–63 catch-up of $11,250, and a defined contribution plan limit of $72,000 — ceilings and definitions for plan compliance, not personalized tax advice. Source: https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/cola-increases-for-dollar-limitations-on-benefits-and-contributions