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The GM Salaried Savings Plan: what every GM employee should know about it

June 25, 2026

401(k) & Workplace Retirement Plans

The GM Salaried Savings Plan is one of the stronger defined contribution plans offered by any major employer. It comes with a broad lineup of investment options, a company match, and — for employees with larger balances — access to Fidelity BrokerageLink®, which opens up a significantly wider investment universe.

But many GM employees treat the plan as a set-it-and-forget-it account. They pick their allocations when they’re first hired, set a contribution rate, and move on. Years go by. The balance grows. The market shifts. Retirement gets closer. And the allocation set at 35 may still be running the account at 55.

Here are the decisions worth revisiting.

1. Know what’s in your fund lineup

The GM plan’s lineup covers equity, fixed income and target-date funds. Understanding how those categories differ, and how to allocate across them based on your timeline and risk tolerance, is the foundation of a sound strategy.

Target-date funds are popular because they’re simple: pick the fund closest to your expected retirement year and it adjusts over time. But they are one-size-fits-all products. They don’t account for your other assets, your pension, your Social Security, your risk tolerance or your actual retirement plans. For some GM employees, a custom allocation may be a better fit than a target-date fund, though results will vary by situation.

2. Watch your concentration in GM stock

If you hold GM stock through profit sharing, equity awards or voluntary purchases inside the plan, it’s worth monitoring how much of your retirement savings sits in a single company — even the company you work for. A commonly cited guideline is to keep employer stock below 10–15% of your total retirement portfolio. An advisor can help you rebalance gradually and with an eye on the tax consequences.

3. Understand BrokerageLink®, and when it makes sense

The GM Salaried Savings Plan offers Fidelity BrokerageLink® for employees whose balance exceeds a certain threshold. It’s a self-directed brokerage window inside the plan, giving access to a much wider range of investments than the core lineup — individual stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds beyond the standard menu.

It’s a useful tool, but it isn’t right for everyone. BrokerageLink^® tends to suit GM employees who have built a substantial balance, are within 10–15 years of retirement, and want a more tailored strategy than the standard lineup allows. It also requires active oversight, which is what our 401k Manager service is built to provide.

4. Check your contribution rate

At minimum, contribute enough to capture the full GM employer match — an unclaimed match is money left behind. Beyond that, the right rate depends on your age, your progress so far and your goals.

In your 50s, catch-up contributions can make a real difference. For 2026, the standard 401(k) contribution limit is $24,500. Employees age 50 and older can generally add a catch-up contribution of $8,000, for $32,500 in total. Employees who reach age 60 through 63 during the year may be able to contribute up to $35,750 under the SECURE 2.0 enhanced catch-up, where the plan permits it. (Source: IRS Notice 2025-67.)

5. Have a plan for what happens at retirement

The decisions don’t end on your last day of work. When you retire you’ll need to decide what to do with your Salaried Savings Plan balance: leave it in the plan, roll it into an IRA, move it to a new employer’s plan if you’re still working, or take a distribution. For many GM retirees, rolling into a managed IRA offers a combination of investment flexibility, ongoing oversight and more control over taxes.

A note on our own incentives: if you roll into an IRA that we manage, we’re generally paid approximately 1% of assets per year, which is more than the flat monthly fee under our plan management services. That gives us a financial incentive to recommend a rollover, which is a conflict of interest. When we advise you on your plan or IRA we act as a fiduciary under ERISA, and we’ll walk you through every option — including the ones that pay us less.

If you’ve worked with a Scarborough advisor through your GM career, this transition tends to be straightforward, since your advisor already knows your financial picture and can look at the rollover alongside your pension decision and Social Security strategy.

Scarborough Capital Management is not affiliated with General Motors and this article does not imply endorsement by General Motors or any of its subsidiaries. The GM Salaried Savings Plan, Fidelity BrokerageLink^®, and other plan and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Advisory services offered through Scarborough Capital Management, a federally registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal.