If you are still working in your 60s, the last few years before retirement can be a meaningful savings season. The tax code allows extra contributions for older workers, and SECURE 2.0 added a higher limit for ages 60 through 63, often called the super catch-up.
This article is educational. It is not tax or investment advice.
For 2026, the IRS set these limits for 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 plans, and the federal Thrift Savings Plan: (IRS)
For IRAs in 2026, the limit is $7,500, and the catch-up for age 50 and older is $1,100.
As of October 13, 2026, the IRS has not announced 2027 limits. It typically does so in October or November. Please check IRS.gov for the official figures.
Generally, you qualify in a year when you reach age 60, 61, 62, or 63 by the end of that year, if your plan allows it. At 64, the regular age-50 catch-up applies again. Plan rules matter, so check with your HR or plan administrator.
Under SECURE 2.0, if your 2025 Social Security (FICA) wages from the employer sponsoring your plan were more than $150,000, your 2026 catch-up contributions generally must be made as Roth contributions. (The law set the threshold at $145,000, indexed for inflation; see IRS Notice 2025-67.) IRS final regulations generally apply starting in 2027; for 2026, plans must follow a reasonable, good-faith reading of the law. Confirm your plan's setup with your plan administrator and tax professional.
Our Woodlands and Houston Pre-Retiree Money Map walks through the other conversations to have in these years, and our retirement planning in The Woodlands page explains how we help.
Proverbs 21:20 notes that the wise store up. Saving in your last working years can be an act of faithfulness. It is also fine if your season calls for giving or caring for family instead. The goal is clarity, not pressure.
Want to see whether your savings path fits your retirement paycheck? Try the Free Retirement Paycheck Readiness Scorecard, or request a Retirement Clarity Call. Office: 620-670-9455.
I'm Will Snodgrass, a CFP® professional and fiduciary asset manager with Matt25 Capital, serving Christian households in The Woodlands, Houston, and across Texas.
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