Capture the Employer Match
Identify your employer retirement match and set contributions to capture the available benefit when appropriate.
What Capture the Employer Match gets you.
By the end of this upgrade you will have identified your exact employer match formula and set your contribution rate to capture the full available match.
- Employer retirement plan summary or HR benefits documentation
- Recent pay stub showing current contribution rate
- Employer retirement account login
Run the upgrade.
- 01
Locate the exact match formula
Find the specific match formula in your plan documents or ask HR, since formulas vary (e.g., a percentage match up to a percentage of pay).
- 02
Determine the contribution rate needed for the full match
Calculate the minimum contribution percentage of your pay required to receive the entire employer match available.
Required contribution rate = match threshold percentage of pay
- 03
Compare your current contribution rate to the required rate
Check your latest pay stub or plan account to see if you are currently contributing enough to capture the full match.
- 04
Increase your contribution rate if you are under-matching
Update your contribution election through your plan portal to at least meet the threshold for the full match.
- 05
Check for vesting schedule impacts
Review the plan's vesting schedule to understand when employer contributions become fully yours, especially if you may change jobs.
- 06
Verify the match posts as expected
Check a subsequent statement to confirm the employer match amount matches what the formula predicts.
- The exact match formula is documented
- Contribution rate is set to at least the level required for the full match
- Vesting schedule is understood
- A statement confirms the match is posting correctly
Annually
- Re-check after any raise, since match dollar amounts scale with pay
- Re-verify after any employer plan changes
Match formulas and vesting rules vary by employer and can change — confirm current terms with your plan administrator.