Money in One Chart

where money goes

The contribution rate you never chose might be leaving your match on the table.

Automatic enrollment gets most people into the plan, and it picks a starting rate for them. That rate is a default, not the match.

You asked for the match formula decoder. It is below, as the slides from the post, then the one move, then the tool the chart points at.

Slide 1 of 7: The contribution rate you never chose might be leaving your match on the table.Slide 2 of 7: Most workers have a plan, most join it, and most of those plans chose the starting rate for them.Slide 3 of 7: Automatic enrollment gets you in, but it cannot know your match formula or your budget.Slide 4 of 7: If the plan matches up to 5% and the default was 3%, two percent of your pay goes unmatched every period.Slide 5 of 7: Being auto-enrolled feels like it is handled, and it is only half handled.Slide 6 of 7: Three steps to replace the default with your own number.Slide 7 of 7: Save this for your lunch break.

Three steps to replace the default with your own number.

  1. 01
    Log in and read your current rate.Percent of pay.
  2. 02
    Read the match formula.Fifty percent of the first 6% means you should contribute 6%.
  3. 03
    Set the rate to the trigger, and set a reminder to raise it at the next raise.That closes the gap for good.

The tool this chart points at

A low-fee brokerage

For the IRA, the index fund and the rollover. Broad index funds with expense ratios under 0.1%.

Open it

This link may pay Money in One Chart a referral fee if you open an account. Your price does not change. How that works.

Sources: BLS Employee Benefits March 2025; Vanguard How America Saves 2026.

All four tools   Back to Instagram