{"id":10739,"date":"2026-04-12T09:51:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T13:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10739"},"modified":"2026-04-12T09:52:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T13:52:31","slug":"ira-contributions-outrun-2025-as-tax-deadline-nears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10739","title":{"rendered":"IRA contributions outrun 2025 as tax deadline nears"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It’s time for that last sprint to make retirement account contributions for 2025.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Yes, you can still put money away for last year. The deadline is tax day, April 15.<\/p>\n

According to Fidelity Investments, contributions to individual retirement accounts (IRAs) \u2014 both traditional and Roth \u2014 are up 30% since January compared to the same time last year.<\/p>\n

Read on Yahoo Finance.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“We’re seeing a clear increase in IRA participation,” Rita Assaf, vice president of retirement products at Fidelity Investments, told Yahoo Finance. “What’s notable is how much of this growth is being driven by younger investors, including Gen Z, who are engaging with retirement savings earlier and more intentionally.”<\/p>\n

So far this year, Gen Z savers have accounted for 34% of total contributions to Fidelity IRAs, compared with 4% from boomer contributors, 13% from Gen X, and 20% from millennials.<\/p>\n

A similar trend is underway at Vanguard. So far this year, roughly 942,000 clients have maxed out their IRA contributions and 789,000 made smaller contributions, both increases over 2025, according to Vanguard brokerage data.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor this year\u2019s tax season, the story isn\u2019t just participation \u2014 it\u2019s maximization,\u201d said Thomas Wilson, head of investment and trading services for Vanguard\u2019s Personal Wealth business. \u201cAlthough we still have more than a week left until the filing deadline, we are already seeing more clients taking advantage of their IRA contributions and maximizing these contributions than we have in previous years.\u201d<\/p>\n

For 2025, you can contribute up to $7,000 to an IRA. If you’re age 50 or older and qualify, you can contribute an additional $7,500 to an employer-sponsored plan and $1,000 to an IRA. This limit applies across all traditional and Roth IRAs combined.<\/p>\n

“Tax season is consistently a peak moment for retirement engagement,” Assaf said, “but this is a striking increase.”<\/p>\n

This is also a smart time to consider making your retirement contributions for your 2026 return. The financial advisers I spoke to suggest contributing early in the year or setting up automatic monthly contributions. And don’t just park the funds in a money market account. Invest.<\/p>\n

Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Research from Vanguard has shown that a significant percentage of IRA contributions sit in cash or money market funds long after the deduction is taken.<\/p>\n

“Some investors seem to be focused on the act of making their contribution but forget to invest it \u2014 like it’s a check-the-box exercise,” according to Vanguard researchers. “By separating the contribution and investment decisions, they can end up leaving money sitting in cash for months before they invest it, so they miss out on the potential returns that could have been earned.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The through-line advice from the pros: Consider investing in a diversified index fund or a target-date retirement fund.<\/p>\n