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58 TOOLS / 194 GUIDES
NEW ×194 State Health Insurance Mandates 2026
Benefits · plain-English definition

401(k) Vesting Schedule

The schedule by which employer matching money becomes yours.

What it is

Your own contributions are always 100% vested. Employer match follows a schedule: graded (typically 20% per year starting at year 2) or cliff (0% until year 3, then 100%). Leaving before the vesting date forfeits unvested employer money, which returns to the plan.

What to do about it: Get the vesting date in writing before your last day, and check service-credit rules for breaks in service. A vesting date inside the notice window can move the value of your last two weeks.

Plain-language description of US practice, not legal, tax, or financial advice. The paired guide carries the citations, dates, and thresholds; the state pages carry the local windows.