Two fair comparison frames
Equal contribution puts the same dollar into Roth versus Traditional each year. Traditional withdrawals are reduced by an assumed future tax rate; Roth withdrawals are modelled as qualified and untaxed.
Equal take-home cost recognises that a pretax Traditional deferral reduces taxable wages today. The after-tax cost of contributing $X pretax is less than contributing $X Roth. This frame funds Roth with only the take-home dollars that Traditional “cost,” which often shrinks Roth’s apparent lead.
Why rates are yours to type
We do not know your bracket, state tax, deductions or future law. Enter teaching guesses, then stress-test higher and lower later rates. Diversifying tax treatments across account types is a common educational theme — not a personal recommendation.
Read Roth vs Traditional decision framework and conversion tax basics. Confirm planning with a CPA/EA when dollars are material.
Match and plan quirks
Employer match is often allocated as pretax even when you elect Roth deferrals. Plan documents control. Mega backdoor and after-tax subaccounts are out of scope here.
Privacy and honesty
Calculations run locally in your browser on NestEgg. We do not need an account and we do not receive the numbers you type. Advertisers help keep the tools free; ads are labelled. Affiliate links, when present, use rel="sponsored" and are described in the affiliate disclosure.
NestEgg provides educational arithmetic only. Results are estimates. Confirm figures with primary sources and licensed professionals.
Using this tool responsibly
Enter figures from your own documents when you need a serious plan. Change one input at a time when comparing scenarios so cause and effect stay obvious. Revisit after life events or new plan documents.
Write down the scenario you chose and the assumption that mattered most. Bring that short note to a conversation with the right licensed professional for your topic.
Privacy and honesty
Calculations run locally in your browser on NestEgg. We do not need an account and we do not receive the numbers you type. Advertisers help keep the tools free; ads are labelled. Affiliate links, when present, use rel="sponsored" and are described in the affiliate disclosure.
NestEgg provides educational arithmetic only. Results are estimates. Confirm figures with primary sources and licensed professionals.
Using this tool responsibly
Enter figures from your own documents when you need a serious plan. Change one input at a time when comparing scenarios so cause and effect stay obvious. Revisit after life events or new plan documents.
Write down the scenario you chose and the assumption that mattered most. Bring that short note to a conversation with the right licensed professional for your topic.