Projected balance
—
From your contributions—
From employer match—
From investment growth—
Project retirement savings including employer match — every assumption below is yours to adjust.
Employer match is typically capped at a percentage of your contribution — this uses the lower of your contribution rate and the match rate, which is how most real 401(k) plans work. Growth beyond your own contributions comes entirely from compound interest on the money already in the account — money that's invested keeps growing whether or not you add more to it.
future value = current balance compounded at your assumed return, plus monthly contributions (yours + employer match) compounded the same way
Existing money in the account keeps compounding at your assumed return rate — growth from investment returns is separate from new contributions.
Many long-term retirement calculators use 6–8% as a rough historical average for a diversified stock portfolio, but real returns vary significantly year to year — there's no guaranteed rate.
Money above the match still grows tax-advantaged, so it's often worth continuing to contribute even once you've captured the full match — just without the "free" match money.