Retirement Account Contribution Workbook: Choosing Accounts and Maximizing Your Contributions

Knowing that retirement accounts exist is different from having a clear, numbers-based plan for how much to contribute, in which order, and to which accounts. This workbook course provides structured worksheets and decision frameworks to turn abstract knowledge into a concrete contribution strategy you can implement and revisit each year. By the end of this course you will be able to complete a contribution capacity worksheet based on your income and budget, decide whether to prioritize a traditional or Roth account given your marginal tax rate, sequence contributions across multiple accounts (employer 401(k) up to the match, then IRA, then back to 401(k)), calculate the dollar value of an employer match, and estimate the effect of reaching contribution limits on your projected retirement balance. What you will learn: - Contribution capacity worksheet: income, essential expenses, and savings rate calculation - The contribution priority sequence: matching contributions first, then IRA, then maximizing 401(k) - Traditional versus Roth decision worksheet: marginal rate today versus expected marginal rate in retirement - Calculating the employer match: what 100% match up to 3% means in dollars for different income levels - Income limits for Roth IRA eligibility: phase-out ranges and the modified AGI calculation - The 401(k) deductibility worksheet for Traditional IRA contributions when covered by a workplace plan - Catch-up contributions at age 50+: additional limits and how to incorporate them into a plan - Year-end contribution review checklist: confirming limits, adjusting withholding, and maximizing remaining capacity Each module presents a worksheet alongside a realistic worked example — a single filer early in a career, a dual-income household with access to two 401(k) plans — so you can see both the process and the output before applying the template to your own numbers. The course concludes with a single-page contribution strategy summary you complete and can reference throughout the year. This course is designed for employed individuals who have access to a workplace retirement plan and want a clear, annual process for managing their contributions. Suitable for those who are new to retirement account decisions or who have been contributing without a structured rationale. No prior financial planning background is required. This course is informational and educational; it does not substitute for advice from a licensed financial advisor.