401k, 403b, 457, TSP Historical Contribution Limits 2009-2018

January 31, 2018 admin Investing, Retirement Leave a comment

Employer-based retirement plans like the 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan are not perfect, but they are often the best available option to save money in a tax-advantaged manner. For 2018, the employee elective deferral (contribution) limit for these plans increased to $18,500 (they are indexed to cost-of-living). The additional catch-up contribution allowed for those age 50+ is $6,000.

Here’s a historical chart of contribution limits for the last 10 years (2009-2018).

Year	401k/403b Elective Deferral Limit	Additional Catch-Up Allowed (Age 50+)
2009	$16,500	$5,500
2010	$16,500	$5,500
2011	$16,500	$5,500
2012	$17,000	$5,500
2013	$17,500	$5,500
2014	$17,500	$5,500
2015	$18,000	$6,000
2016	$18,000	$6,000
2017	$18,000	$6,000
2018	$18,500	$6,000

The limits are the same for both Roth and “Traditional” pre-tax 401k plans, although the effective after-tax amounts can be quite different. Employer match contributions do not count towards the elective deferral limit. Curiously, some employer plans set their own limit on contributions. A former employer of mine had a 20% deferral limit, so if your income was $50,000 the most you could put away was $10,000 a year.

Also see: IRA Historical Contribution Limits 2009-2018

Sources: IRS.gov, IRS.gov COLA Table [PDF]

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401k, 403b, 457, TSP Historical Contribution Limits 2009-2018 from My Money Blog.