The whole package,
planned as one system.
UPS pilots typically carry both a defined-contribution side and a pension component. They have to be planned together, around the IRS limits and your timeline. Here's how I approach it with the UPS pilots I advise. (Plan-specific provisions vary; I work from your actual plan documents.)
The levers most pilots miss.
Plan the DC side to total additions
When the company piece is large, the total annual-additions limit is what binds — not the elective-deferral figure most pilots track. We plan to the right one.
After-tax / in-plan Roth — verify, don't assume
Mega-backdoor capacity is entirely plan-dependent. We confirm what your documents allow, then schedule conversions if available.
Coordinate the pension decision early
Pension elections are usually irreversible. We model your number against current assumptions well before the decision window.
Roth vs. pre-tax across the career
The right mix shifts with pay. We model the crossover with your real numbers and revisit it annually.
Sequence income before the deadline
The mandatory-age date is fixed. We build the taxable / pre-tax / Roth order years ahead.
Two UPS pilots,
different seats, different brackets, different timelines — should not share one template. Mine don't.