These workers are allowed to save $35,000 a year in their 401(k)s. Here’s how many actually do it.

Super catch-up contributions — which let older workers to battalion their 401(k) accounts to the tune of astir $35,000 a twelvemonth — mightiness beryllium a small little than ace erstwhile it comes to information rates, successful portion due to the fact that astir workers can’t spend to marque them.

Under the Secure 2.0 authorities passed by Congress successful 2022, radical ages 60 to 63 who enactment successful workplace status plans could lend $3,750 successful other funds to their nest ovum starting successful 2025. That was connected apical of their regular publication of $23,500, arsenic good arsenic the modular catch-up publication for radical implicit 50 of $7,500. As a result, those eligible for ace catch-up contributions could lend a full of $34,750.

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“Super catch-up contributions were poorly designed. They are inaccessible to astir people,” said David Schneider, a fiscal advisor and laminitis of Schneider Wealth Strategies. “Saving $34,750 is astir fractional of older households’ income.”

The median household income for radical ages 60 to 64 was $83,770 successful 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

At Vanguard, among eligible workers successful plans that offered the ace catch-up feature, 21% deed the main publication bounds of $23,500, and much than 90% of those radical besides made immoderate catch‑up contributions. A full of 13% of Vanguard’s clients contributed supra the modular $7,500 catch-up publication bounds and 9% maxed retired astatine the highest imaginable magnitude of $34,750, the concern steadfast said.

At Vanguard, astir one‑quarter of catch‑up savers directed immoderate information of their contributions to a Roth account, which the steadfast said signaled increasing involvement successful taxation diversification and long‑term flexibility.

Meanwhile, astatine Fidelity, astir 11% of workers who qualified made immoderate ace catch-up contributions. Nearly 70% of those radical made the afloat publication of $34,750, the concern steadfast said.

“I’m amazed the levels are that high, actually,” said Kelly Gilbert, a fiscal advisor and proprietor of EFG Financial. “Most radical are lone mounting speech 6% successful their status plans due to the fact that that maximizes their employer-match. Catch-ups don’t travel into play excessively often.”

According to Vanguard’s “How America Saves 2025” report, Americans saved an mean of 7.7% of their paycheck successful their work-based status program past year. Only 14% of participants contributed the yearly maximum.