401(k), IRA & Roth
A 403(b) calculator that knows about the 15-year catch-up
A 403(b) calculator for school, hospital and nonprofit employees: project savings with match, raises and the special 15-year service catch-up, against the $24,5002026 · IRS limit for 2026.
Included on every plan, even the free Practitioner plan. No card needed.
What is the 403(b) 15-year catch-up?
Employees with 15 or more years of service at a qualifying school, hospital, church or similar organization may be able to contribute extra to a 403(b): $3,000 a year, $15,000 lifetime2026 · IRS. It sits on top of the regular $24,5002026 · IRS limit and can combine with the age-based catch-up, subject to plan rules.
Late summer, before the school year starts
Teachers often revisit benefits in August, and long-tenured staff hear about the 15-year rule from a colleague. Hospital and nonprofit employees ask at open enrollment. Many have been sold annuity products inside their 403(b) and want an independent view of what their savings could become.
What the client types into a search box
“can I contribute more to my 403b after 15 years”
How a client works through it
Enter balance and salary
Current 403(b) balance and annual salary.
Set contribution and catch-up
Contribution percentage, plus the 15-year service catch-up if eligible.
Add match and assumptions
Employer match terms, return, raises and years to retirement.
Read the projection
Balance, contributions, match, growth and the year-one deferral check.
What lands in your inbox
When a client asks your firm to review the result, the request arrives as a contact record with their inputs and results attached, by email and, on paid plans, by webhook to your CRM.
Received
Salary, contribution rate, match and the catch-up switch tell you tenure and savings intensity. A client using the 15-year catch-up has long service, often a pension too. A low contribution rate at a public school employer may point to an unused 457(b) as well.
How does the catch-up change the projection?
With the catch-up on, the calculator adds the extra amount in the first five years, the period it is usually used. Balance at Retirement and Your Contributions rise accordingly; Year-1 Deferral vs 2026 Limit shows the combined deferral against the limit.
Investment Growth often exceeds contributions over long periods, which is why an extra few thousand a year early matters.
Results shown: Balance at Retirement · Your Contributions · Employer Match · Investment Growth · Years · Year-1 Deferral vs 2026 Limit.
Why serve 403(b) savers specifically?
403(b) participants are an underserved market with specific rules. Firms that work with educators, healthcare workers and clergy can show expertise immediately with a calculator that handles the 15-year catch-up, which generic 401(k) tools ignore.
The planning that follows often involves high-fee annuity products, 457(b) plans available to the same employees and pension coordination.
Follow-ups this request opens
- Confirm eligibility and lifetime room for the 15-year catch-up
- Review fees in the 403(b) investment options
- Coordinate 403(b) and 457(b) contributions
- Plan around a pension and Social Security offsets
What this calculator leaves out
- Eligibility for the 15-year catch-up is not checked.
- The catch-up is modeled for the first five years only.
- Limits are flagged, not enforced; vesting and taxes are ignored.
- Annuity product features and fees are not modeled.
Platform disclaimer shown under the calculator: Estimates only. Assumes constant return and raises. The 2026 employee deferral limit is $24,500 (plus age-based catch-ups); the 15-year service catch-up is capped at $15,000 lifetime. Limits are flagged, not enforced, and vesting and taxes are ignored. Confirm plan rules with your administrator.
Compliance note for firms
Advisers comparing 403(b) products should be careful to present fees and features fairly. Projections are hypothetical when presented by an adviser; keep the client in control of the return. Eligibility for the service catch-up depends on plan and employment facts, so treat a recommendation as written advice.
Not legal advice. See our disclaimer and the guide to compliance for client calculators.
2026 figures this page relies on
| Figure | Value | Tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 401(k)/403(b)/457(b) employee deferral limit | $24,500 | 2026 | IRS |
| 403(b) 15-year service catch-up: per year / lifetime cap | $3,000 a year, $15,000 lifetime | 2026 | IRS |
| Age 50+ catch-up contribution (401(k)/403(b)/457(b)) | $8,000 | 2026 | IRS |
The same values drive the calculator. Full list on the 2026 figures page.
Terms your client sees in the calculator
These definitions appear in the calculator's collapsible Definitions block, so clients don't have to call to ask what a label means.
- 403(b) plan
- A workplace retirement plan for employees of public schools, hospitals, churches and other tax-exempt organizations. Contributions come out of each paycheck and grow tax-deferred, or tax-free in a Roth version. It works much like a 401(k), with one addition this calculator models: the 15-year service catch-up.
- Elective deferral
- The part of your salary you choose to put into the 403(b) through payroll. The IRS caps it each year: $24,500 for 2026 (IRS), with extra room for age-based and service catch-ups. Employer match does not count toward the cap. This calculator flags a first-year deferral above the limit but does not reduce it.
- 15-year service catch-up
- A 403(b)-only provision for employees with at least 15 years at the same eligible employer. It allows up to $3,000 extra per year, capped at $15,000 over a lifetime (IRS, 2026). The plan must offer it. When turned on, this calculator adds $3,000 a year for the first five years.
- Age-based catch-up
- An additional deferral allowed for workers age 50 or older, on top of the regular annual limit, with a higher amount for some ages in the early sixties. The IRS sets the dollar amounts each year. It is separate from the 15-year service catch-up, and ordering rules decide which one applies first.
- Employer match
- Money your employer adds based on what you contribute. A 50% match pays 50 cents for each dollar you defer, up to the match limit. For example, on a $60,000 salary with a 5% limit and 50% match, the employer adds up to $1,500 a year. Many 403(b) employers offer no match, so zero is a valid entry.
- Match limit
- The share of salary, beyond which your employer stops matching. If the limit is 5% and you contribute 8%, only the first 5% earns a match. Contributing less than the limit leaves part of the available match unused. This calculator applies the match percentage only to contributions up to this limit.
In our glossary: Elective deferral · Catch-up contribution
403(b) Savings calculator: questions from firms and clients
Who qualifies for the 15-year catch-up?
Employees with at least 15 years of service with a qualifying organization whose plan allows it, and who haven't used up the lifetime amount. The firm should confirm.
How much extra can I contribute?
$3,000 a year, $15,000 lifetime2026 · IRS, depending on past contributions.
Can I use both catch-ups?
Generally yes, the service catch-up and the age 50 catch-up of $8,0002026 · IRS can both apply, subject to ordering rules.
Is a 403(b) the same as a 401(k)?
Similar, but for public schools, nonprofits and some ministers, with some different rules and investment options.
Can I also contribute to a 457(b)?
Many public employers offer both, and the limits are separate. See the 457(b) calculator.
Does it include annuity fees?
No. Clients should enter a return net of fees.
Does the match count toward my limit?
No, only your deferrals count toward the elective deferral limit.
Which plan includes it?
Every plan, including the free Practitioner plan, which runs up to 5 calculators at once alongside the other retirement tools. Firm (up to 50) and Network (no cap) add webhooks and white-label. See pricing.
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Answer the August question before the client calls
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