Retirement tool

Employer Match Paycheck Planner

Find the paycheck where an aggressive contribution rate could accidentally shut off your match. Enter paid checks from your paystubs, then test the checks still ahead.

Private by design: Calculator inputs are processed locally in your browser. They are not transmitted to Shaun Graham Finance or any third party. Nothing is kept unless you ask — use Save to file near the bottom of the page to keep your own copy.

1

Describe the plan

Use the wording in your plan document, not the office rumor mill.

Contribution strategy for upcoming checks

2Build the paycheck calendar

Every generated row remains editable. Add bonuses, commissions, or acquisition payouts separately.

Twice-monthly generation uses the 15th and last calendar day. Paid rows begin at $0; replace that with the actual employee contribution from each paystub.

No paychecks yet
RemovePay date / typeGross payMatch?StatusContributionEmployer match
Generate a schedule or add a one-time payment to begin.

Employer match applies: Keep this checked when this paycheck counts in your employer's match calculation. A plan may let you contribute from a bonus while excluding that bonus from its match formula. That contribution still uses part of your annual employee limit, which is why an unmatched payment can still matter here. If no employee contribution was or will be taken from an unmatched payment, you can leave it out.

3

Read the result

The recovery message separates "your current plan misses it" from "it is already gone."

Employee contributed + planned$0
Employee limit still available$24,500
Captured on paid checks$0
Projected employer match$0
Plan's theoretical full match$0
Missed on paid checks$0
Projected true-up recovery$0
Permanently unavailable$0
Add your paychecks to test whether the full match is still recoverable.

Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to Shaun Graham Finance. Nothing is stored on this device unless you check the box above; with it clear, a refresh starts from the defaults. When checked, the whole form — including pay dates and dollar amounts — is kept in local browser storage, not cookies. That storage is not encrypted, so avoid it on a shared device. Files you save contain the paycheck details you entered; protect them like other financial records.

Important assumptions before changing payroll
  • The model uses one match rate and one match cap. Tiered formulas need another model.
  • A true-up is estimated annually; eligibility dates, vesting, timing, and plan-specific formulas can differ.
  • Mark each bonus or special payout as match-eligible only after checking the plan document.
  • The employee limit excludes catch-up and after-tax contribution rules. Enter a compensation limit only if the plan applies one to matched pay.
  • Payroll rounding, election-change delays, and midyear employer changes can alter the actual result.