GET SERIOUS ABOUT CATCHING UP

If you're age 50 or older, tax law has a permanent provision that lets you make extra contributions to your retirement plans. These "catch-up" contributions vary depending on the type of retirement plan. For example, if you participate in a SIMPLE, you can make a catch-up contribution of up to $3,000 in 2016, over and above the maximum $12,500 salary reduction contribution. For IRAs, both Roth and traditional, the 2016 catch-up contribution is $1,000.