When 2025 started, you had a plan to make regular retirement-account contributions this year or to step up how much you're contributing. You may have even started the year off strong, but then, life happened.
Unexpected expenses came up. You didn't get that raise you were hoping for. And now, we're more than halfway through the year and your retirement contributions aren't where you thought they'd be.
You're definitely not alone. This sort of thing happens to a lot of hard-working people, but it doesn't mean you have to wait until 2026 to take another run at it. There's still plenty of time left in 2025 for you to make meaningful contributions to your retirement accounts. Start with the following four tips.
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1. Claim your 401(k) match if you haven't already
If your company offers a 401(k) match, claiming it could supercharge your savings because your employer will put money into your account when you do, up to a certain percentage of your salary. If you're lucky, you'll get a dollar-for-dollar match, so your savings will grow twice as fast. But even a $0.50-on-the-dollar match is meaningful.
Every company has its own matching formula. If you're not sure what yours is, talk to your plan administrator or your HR department to find out. They'll be able to tell you how much you've already set aside in your 401(k) this year and how much more you have to contribute to get the full match.
If you can't spare the cash to get the full match, claim what you can, even if that's only setting aside $10 every pay period. Every bit you're able to save now will help you be better prepared in the future.
2. Automate your contributions
Automating your retirement-account contributions reduces the risk that you'll forget to make them. It's a great option if you often forget to set aside funds and then discover that the money you intended to save for retirement has gone somewhere else. By paying yourself first, you'll have an easier time building a retirement nest egg.
It's usually pretty easy to set up 401(k) deferrals. You may have to speak to your HR department, or there might be an online account where you can make those changes. For individual retirement accounts (IRAs), you usually have to link a bank account and set up automated transfers.
You may not be able to make regular contributions every pay period if you need most of your paycheck for living expenses. In that case, consider setting reminders for yourself every pay period to review your finances and decide what, if anything, you can devote to retirement savings at the time.
3. Plan to save your year-end bonus
If you expect a year-end bonus from your job, consider stashing it away for retirement instead of spending it. The tricky part is that you may not know how much that bonus will be. Even if it's just a few hundred dollars, that's still significant. It could grow into thousands of dollars by the time you're ready to withdraw your funds in retirement.
You may not be able to put this money into your 401(k) directly, since you fund 401(k)s with paycheck deferrals. But you could increase your paycheck deferral by the amount of your bonus temporarily or place the bonus in your IRA.
4. Consider a side hustle
When the primary issue is a lack of extra funds, a side hustle could be your best option. Choose something that fits around your schedule and aligns with your interests. You don't have to put all you earn toward retirement, but if you do, you could help your savings grow more quickly.
Keep in mind that you'll owe some self-employment taxes on your side-hustle income, but you may also get deductions for business expenses. Talk to an accountant if you're unsure how this will affect your tax bill or what you can afford to save for retirement.
Don't forget to watch out for contribution limits
It may be possible to double your retirement contributions to date by the end of 2025 with one or more of the above tips. However, it's important to watch out for annual contribution limits so you don't wind up owing tax penalties.
You can only contribute up to $7,000 to an IRA in 2025 or $8,000 if you're 50 or older. For 401(k)s, you can set aside up to $23,500 if you're under 50, $31,000 if you're 50 to 59 or 64 or older, and $34,750 if you're 60 to 63.
These limits apply to all accounts of that type, not to each account individually. Keep track of your contributions as you move closer to the end of the year, and stop making them if you hit the annual limit.
