As we approach the end of 2025, it's critical to maximize tax advantage retirement accounts to save more and reduce your tax bill.

Plus, some big account changes are coming in 26. This podcast will review the new rules for retirement savings that start

next year. Welcome back, everybody. It's episode 978 of Money Girl. I appreciate you being with me.

I'm Laura Adams, an award-winning author, on-camera spokesperson, money speaker, and founder of the

Money Stack. That's my sub substack newsletter. Free subscribers

automatically receive my money success toolkit. It includes the exact templates I use to manage my

finances. So I hope you'll sign up and download that for free. You can learn more, ask questions,

and of course, sign up for the money stack at laura d.adams.com. You can also

leave me a voice message with your question or comment by calling 302-364-0308. I'd love to feature your

question on Finance Friday. That's our weekly Q&A bonus edition of the show. All right, let's get into

the seven retirement rule changes that are coming in 2026. Most contribution and income limits for

retirement accounts are subject to inflation adjustments, also known as cost of living

adjustments. So that's why the account rules can change from year to year. And it's really

important to keep up with them so you understand what's going on. The IRS has announced the

following seven changes that will affect your 2026 tax return.

Number one is higher base contribution limits for workplace plans.

So just about every year, the base contribution limit for workplace plans goes up.

So I wasn't surprised to see an increase in 2026 for accounts like 401ks, 403Bs,

457s, and Thrift Savings Plans or TSPs. Those are for federal government workers.

The current contribution limit of 23,,500 will increase to $24,500 in 2026. So that means you can save $1,000 more

for retirement. You can take advantage of any additional employer matching and cut your taxes.

For instance, if you have a traditional retirement plan, your contributions are tax deductible. They reduce your tax liability in the

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