Should Southwest Pilots Take Their NEC As Roth?

Should Southwest Pilots Take Their NEC As Roth?

From Pilot’s Portfolio by Timothy P. Pope, CFP®

February 9, 2026 · 17 min · Season 3 · Episode 3

About this episode

Timothy P. Pope discusses the new option for Southwest pilots to take their NEC as Roth starting in 2026.

In this episode, our host, Certified Financial Planner™ and GA pilot, Timothy P. Pope explains a new option for Southwest pilots, taking their NEC as Roth starting in 2026. He covers what NEC is, how Secure 2.0 made Roth employer contributions possible, and how Southwest is rolling this out. Tim walks through what changes when you elect Roth NEC, including how it shows up on your W-2, what happens with federal income tax and FICA, and why some pilots could be under withheld if they do not pla...

People in this episode

Host: Timothy P. Pope

Topics covered

  • Southwest pilots
  • Roth contributions
  • NEC
  • Secure 2.0
  • tax implications
  • W-2 changes

Keywords

  • Southwest pilots
  • NEC
  • Roth
  • Secure 2.0
  • tax
  • W-2
  • FICA
  • under withholding

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Southwest, Secure 2.0

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