If your employer doesn't offer a 401(k) match, you still have plenty of options to help you meet your retirement savings goals. While an employer match is often called "free money," missing out on one doesn't mean you can't build a strong retirement nest egg—it just means you'll want to be more strategic about how you save. Continue reading to learn more.
Contribute to your 401(k) even without the match
For 2026, you can contribute up to $24,500 into a 401(k). If you're age 50 or older, you can add an extra $8,000 in catch-up contributions, bringing your total to $32,500. Employees ages 60 to 63 can contribute an additional $11,250 as a "super catch-up" if their plan allows—up to $35,750 total.
These contributions are deducted from your taxable income for the year, so you'll not only earn investment returns plus interest, you'll reduce your tax burden as well.
Invest more heavily in your 401(k)
If your employer isn't matching, you may want to put a higher percentage of your income into your retirement plan since you have only yourself to rely upon. If your company was providing a match, you might put in 6% of your salary and receive another 3% from your employer's 50% match. Since you're not getting that match, you may want to simply put 9% of your salary in yourself to keep your overall savings on track.
Contribute to an IRA
Anyone with earned income can take out a self-directed Individual Retirement Account. Even if you have an employer-sponsored 401(k), you can contribute to both. The benefit of an IRA is that fees are typically low and there are virtually unlimited investment options.
For 2026, you can contribute up to $7,500 to a Traditional or Roth IRA, with an additional $1,100 catch-up contribution if you're age 50 or older. Note that Roth IRA contributions are subject to income limits, and Traditional IRA deductibility may also be limited if you're covered by a workplace plan—so check with your tax advisor on what makes sense for your situation.
Once you hit the IRA's annual ceiling, putting more money into your 401(k) is the next logical step.
Open a Solo 401(k)
You may consider opening a Solo 401(k) if you're self-employed or earn income from freelance work or side jobs. Solo 401(k)s offer much higher contribution limits than IRAs—up to $72,000 in 2026 ($80,000 with catch-up contributions for those 50 and older).
If your employer offers a traditional 401(k), an alternate option might be to open a Roth Solo 401(k) on your side income. With a Roth, you pay taxes upfront in exchange for a tax-free withdrawal in retirement. You can also elect to make profit-sharing contributions to a Solo 401(k) plan as the employer.
Talk to your employer
You may be able to persuade your company to begin offering a match. One big advantage of employer matches is that they can be taken as deductions on the federal corporate income tax return and are often exempt from state and payroll taxes as well. Plus, offering a match makes employers more competitive, so they can quickly recoup the expense by improving their employee retention rate.
A small business 401(k) provider like Ubiquity can also help your employer understand the tax credits available under the SECURE 2.0 Act, which can offset much of the cost of starting a new plan or adding an automatic enrollment feature.
A Quick Note on the Roth Catch-Up Rule
Beginning in 2026, the SECURE 2.0 Act requires employees who earned more than $150,000 in the prior year to make their age-based catch-up contributions as Roth (after-tax) deferrals. If this applies to you, check with your plan administrator to make sure your plan supports Roth contributions—otherwise, you may not be able to make catch-up contributions at all.
Build Your Retirement Future With Ubiquity
Retirement lasts for roughly a quarter of your life. Whether you're an employer or an employee, an affordable, easy-to-manage 401(k) for small businesses is one of the most powerful tools you have to prepare for it. From Safe Harbor plans that bypass annual IRS testing to Roth 401(k) options for tax-free growth, Ubiquity can help you find the right plan tailored to your needs.
