As the percentage of salary cap rises for FERS employees, more of them must be careful to structure their withholdings so that they can continue to invest through the calendar year. Personal contributions for a year shut off when the dollar cap is hit, meaning that the matching contributions for FERS employees also shut off (although the automatic 1 percent of salary employer contribution would continue). FERS employees earning more than $92,857 in 2004 would hit the cap by investing at the maximum 14 percent. Rather than think in terms of percentage of salary, it might be easier to think in terms of dollar amount contributions. Assuming 26 pay periods in the year, a biweekly contribution should be no more than $500 in order to be able to invest throughout the year; however, payroll cycles vary, so employees should check with their payroll offices before making a decision. Hitting the dollar cap early is not a consideration for investors under CSRS, who get no government contributions in any case.