Qualified Plan Calculator — Team Cocco Financial Planning

👤 Employee Contributions

Annual Salary ($)

Gross annual compensation

Your Contribution (%)

% of salary you contribute

Current Balance ($)

Existing 401(k) balance

Current Age

Retirement Age

Annual Salary Growth (%)

Expected raises

🏢 Employer Match

Match Rate (%)

% employer matches (e.g., 50 = 50 cents on dollar)

Match Up To (% of salary)

Employer matches up to this % of salary

Vesting Schedule

📊 Growth & Tax Assumptions

Expected Annual Return (%)

Current Tax Bracket (%)

Federal + state marginal rate now

Retirement Tax Bracket (%)

Expected effective rate in retirement

Projected Balance at Retirement

Your Contributions

Employer Match Total

Investment Growth

After-Tax Value

With Employer Match

Without Employer Match

You'd leave this much on the table

💰 Free Money You're Leaving on the Table

🏛️ Tax Reality Check

📈 Growth Projection

📋 Year-by-Year Breakdown

Age	Salary	Your Contrib	Match	Year Growth	Balance

Key Insight: The employer match is an immediate, guaranteed return on your money. A 50% match on 6% = instant 50% return before any investment growth. There is no investment in the world that guarantees that. Always contribute at least enough to get the full match.

Key Perspective: While qualified plans offer tax-deferred growth, remember: you're deferring taxes, not eliminating them. The after-tax value at retirement depends heavily on future tax rates. Diversifying across tax-deferred AND tax-exempt vehicles (Roth, life insurance) gives you flexibility.