Cisco Systems,inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Cisco Systems,inc. 401(k) Plan
San Jose, CAManufacturing40,526 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$8,884Employer $ per active participant
$18,893Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$22.7BNet plan assets, end of year
$315,215Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity39.3 / 5079th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.5 / 2582th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.2 / 1595th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score74 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 79th |
| Lower admin cost | 82th |
| Employee saving | 95th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $3,607,855 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Cisco Systems,inc. put in about $8,884 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($5,480). 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.
- 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 | $360,041,223 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $765,657,609 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $112,817,501 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $6,755,169 |
| Contract administrator fees | $30,000 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $7,997,350 |
| Other admin expenses | $66,984 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,586,283,503 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $18.9B / $22.7B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 40,452 / 40,599 |
| Participants with account balances | 72,060 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Pricewaterhousecoopers, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Financial Engines | $3,611,306 reported compensation |
| Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP | $93,000 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | −$1,231,180 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250730174516NAL0005109777001, received 2025-07-30, EIN 77-0059951, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.