Bank of America vs Wells Fargo 401(k) match: 5% vs 6%
+1 pt
Winner on the headline number: Wells Fargo, at 6% of pay against Bank of America's 5%. Both filings disclose the full formula, so the two numbers compare like for like; vesting, true-up and enrollment defaults still differ line by line below.
On a $60,000 salary, that gap is worth $600 a year more in employer money from Wells Fargo.
Filings lag by design and formulas can change between them. Why filings lag
Which 401(k) match is larger, Bank of America or Wells Fargo?
Wells Fargo offers the larger 401(k) match: up to 6% of pay against Bank of America's 5%, per each company's SEC Form 11-K for the plan year ended December 31, 2025.
| Bank of America | Wells Fargo | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum employer matchThe most the employer adds, as a share of your pay. | 5% of pay | 6% of pay (the larger maximum match) |
| Match formula | 100% (dollar-for-dollar) of the first 5% of pay | 100% (dollar-for-dollar) of the first 6% of pay |
| Contribute to collect it allWhat you must put in to earn the full match. | 5% of pay | 6% of pay |
| Vesting of the match | Immediate: employer match is 100% vested when contributed | Cliff: 100% vested after 3 years of service |
| Automatic enrollment | Yes, 3% default, rises to 5% | Not mentioned in the filing |
| True-upA year-end recalculation that repays match lost to uneven contributions. | Yes, annual true-up | Not stated in the filing |
| Plan year | Ended December 31, 2025 | Ended December 31, 2025 |
Read from each company's most recent SEC Form 11-K filing. When a filing does not disclose something, we say so instead of guessing.
Useful links
- Bank of America: full 401(k) plan facts
Formula, vesting, eligibility and the verbatim filing sentences.
- Wells Fargo: full 401(k) plan facts
Formula, vesting, eligibility and the verbatim filing sentences.
- Compare any two companies side by side
Pick your own pair from every company in the data.
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The figure is the gap between the two maximum matches, in percentage points of pay.