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When you enroll in a 401(k) plan, you authorize your employer to withhold a certain percentage of your gross pay or a specific dollar amount each pay period and put it into an account that’s been set up in your name.
As a rule, your employer must deposit your contributions into your account within 15 business days after the end of the month in which the money is deducted from your pay. Those deposits should show up on your 401(k) statements. Employers have more leeway, though, in adding any matching contributions they make to your account. In fact, the match may be made as infrequently as once a year.
You can raise or lower your contribution rate as often as your employer allows. That may be just once during the year, or it may be more often. For example, if you receive a raise, you may decide that you can afford to put away more toward retirement and boost the percentage you’re contributing from 6 percent of your pay to 8 percent or 10 percent.
Since your contributions to a traditional 401(k) are tax deferred, they reduce both the amount on which income taxes are withheld each pay period as well as your taxable income for the year. However, contributions to a 401(k) are included in the amount on which FICA taxes for Social Security and Medicare are figured.
Contributions to a Roth 401(k) aren't tax deferred, so don't reduce current income taxes. But withdrawals will be tax free if you're at least 59½ and your account has been open at least five years when you take the money out.
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