American Chemical Society 401(k) Review & Grade
American Chemical Society Defined Contribution Retirement Plan
Washington, DCProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,822 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$10,319Employer $ per active participant
$1,076Employee $ saved per active participant
0.02%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$371.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$155,717Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity45.7 / 5091th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.9 / 2596th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.8 / 155th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score80 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 91th |
| Lower admin cost | 96th |
| Employee saving | 5th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- American Chemical Society put in about $10,319 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,082). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $18,795,943 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,959,723 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $0 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $69,274 |
| Benefits paid out | $30,478,557 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $336.3M / $371.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,795 / 1,848 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,383 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $69,274 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250917103600NAL0000191059001, received 2025-09-17, EIN 53-0196572, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.