Let's say you have a modestly aggressive portfolio invested entirely in the S&P 500, giving you an average annual return of 11%. If you make the maximum contribution each year, this might give you the following returns profile:With 10 more years of work, you have 10 more years to contribute to your 401(k). Setting aside inflation (which erodes true account value) and cap increases (which can increase your maximum contributions over time), the IRS allows a maximum annual 401(k) contribution of $23,500 per ye ...