Match Left on the Table
The cumulative lifetime cost of not contributing enough to capture your full 401(k) employer match.
Employer Match Left on the Table Calculator
The Employer Match Left on the Table calculator quantifies the cumulative lifetime cost of not contributing enough to capture your full 401(k) match, making the cost of the mistake impossible to ignore. Enter your salary, current contribution percentage, employer match structure, and years until retirement, and the calculator computes how much free employer money you're currently leaving behind each year and what that unclaimed money would have grown to if invested over your full career. The hero result flips between an alarming red state when you're missing match and a green success state when you're capturing it all. The results panel shows your missed match per year, per career, and the exact contribution percentage you need to hit to stop the bleeding. A comparison chart overlays your current path against the full-match path, so the gap between the two balances at retirement becomes a visceral picture of the opportunity cost. It's the calculator that turns "always get the match" from a vague platitude into a six- or seven-figure lifetime number staring back at you.