What Does Vesting Mean in a 401(k)?

You may not be entitled to all of your matching contributions

Reviewed by Charlene RhinehartReviewed by Charlene Rhinehart

Depending on the terms of your 401(k) plan and its vesting schedule (should it have one), your employer may be able to retain some to all of the matching contributions it’s made to your account. This can happen if you separate from your employer too soon, before you’re fully vested.

Key Takeaways

• An employer can require a certain number of years of service (called vesting) before its matching contributions belong to the employee.
• Cliff vesting is when an employee goes from owning 0% of matching contributions to owning 100% after a certain period of time.
• Graduated vesting is when an employee owns a growing portion of matching contributions until they’re 100% vested.

401(k) Plan Vesting Schedules

The contributions you make to your retirement savings plan are always yours to keep. However, any employer-contributed funds may be subject to a vesting schedule. A vesting schedule is a provision of a 401(k) retirement plan stipulating that you must render a certain number of service years to your employer before you wholly own any employer contributions. Employers often use vesting schedules to increase retention. They limit your access to employer contributions until you reach a specified number of service years.

Employee vesting ranges from 0 to 100% depending on the length of service. If you are 0% vested, it means you are entitled to withdraw only those funds you contributed. If you are 100% vested, you own 100% of the funds in your account, including any employer contributions.

The inclusion of a vesting schedule means that if you separate from your employer before the required number of years of service has passed, you may be required to forfeit some or all of the money your employer has invested in your 401(k).

Important

There are circumstances under which an employer has the right to take back some or all of its matching contributions to an employee’s 401(k) plan.

Cliff Vesting

One common vesting schedule format is cliff vesting. You must complete multiple years of service when you are 0% vested. After the allotted time has elapsed, the vesting percentage automatically jumps to 100%.

For example, assume your employer uses a cliff vesting schedule requiring three full years of work before you’re 100% vested. After two years, your 401(k) balance is $12,000, composed of 50% payroll deferrals made by you and 50% employer contributions. If you decide to leave your employer for another job, you can only keep the $6,000 you contributed, because you have not completed the full three years of service required to attain full vestment. If you wait just one more year, all contributions to your 401(k) are yours to keep.

Graduated Vesting

Graduated vesting schedules are a little less severe. You incrementally increase your vesting percentage over time, rather than spending several years at 0%. However, employers may still require an initial period of service before vesting begins. A common graduated vesting schedule is an allocation of 20% for each year of service after the first year.

For example, assume the employer in the example above uses this type of graduated vesting schedule instead of a cliff vesting schedule. After four full years of service, you are 60% vested. If you decide to change jobs, you are entitled to the $6,000 you contributed and 60% of any employer contributions. In this example, the total amount you would be eligible to retain is $6,000 + ($6,000 * 60%), or $9,600.

How Do I Know If My 401(k) Is Vested?

Your employer will tell you the vesting schedule at the onset of your employment. If the company uses cliff vesting, the employer match portion of your 401(k) won’t be available until a set period of time has passed. If the company uses graduated vesting, the employer match portion will be available at a certain percentage per year, as per the stated schedule. 

What Happens to My 401(k) If I Leave My Job Before I Am Vested?

If you switch jobs before you are fully vested in your 401(k), only the vested portion will go with you. Your former employer retains the unvested balance in your account. 

How Many Years Have to Pass Until You Are Fully Vested in a 401(k)?

The number of years before vesting depends on the company and also on what kind of schedule it uses: cliff vesting or graduated vesting. Many companies make you wait at least a year before any of the matching funds are vested.

The Bottom Line

Although the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) requires full vesting after six years of service, each employer dictates the specific terms of its vesting schedule. These terms can vary widely depending on the type of schedule the employer uses: cliff vesting, which vests all at once after a certain number of years, or graduated vesting, which happens incrementally. While some plans allow for immediate vesting, many employers require that you complete at least one full year of service before you begin climbing the vesting ladder. Check with your employer if you have any questions.

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