Avalonbay Communities, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Avalonbay Communities, Inc. Associates Savings Plan
Arlington, VAReal Estate & Rental2,977 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,973Employer $ per active participant
$7,752Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$384.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$95,057Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity42.9 / 5086th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.9 / 2564th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.2 / 1582th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score78 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Real Estate & Rental plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (50 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 86th |
| Lower admin cost | 64th |
| Employee saving | 82th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 46% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,860 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Avalonbay Communities put in about $2,973 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,141). 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 | $8,850,978 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $23,077,342 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,829,034 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $291,250 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,500 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $48,018 |
| Benefits paid out | $33,259,020 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $329.0M / $384.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,931 / 3,023 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,048 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Ernst and Young |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $243,232 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning | $26,667 reported compensation |
| Morgan Stanley | $21,352 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250613152254NAL0013684963001, received 2025-06-13, EIN 77-0404318, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.