Cullen/frost Bankers, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The 401(k) Stock Purchase Plan for Employees of Cullen/frost Bankers, Inc. and Its Affiliates
San Antonio, TXFinance & Insurance5,774 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$5,211Employer $ per active participant
$7,250Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.2BNet plan assets, end of year
$174,301Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity29.5 / 5059th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.9 / 2579th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.3 / 1535th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score58 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (199 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 59th |
| Lower admin cost | 79th |
| Employee saving | 35th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 66% |
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
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Cullen/frost Bankers put in about $5,211 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($4,489). 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 | $30,092,879 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $41,862,886 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $6,281,449 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $539,266 |
| Contract administrator fees | $3,600 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $57,295 |
| Other admin expenses | $9,833 |
| Benefits paid out | $98,292,225 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.0B / $1.2B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 5,570 / 5,979 |
| Participants with account balances | 6,967 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Ernst & Young |
| Employer stock held by plan | $378,174,876 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $471,256 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $57,295 reported compensation |
| Aon Consulting, Inc. | $9,833 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250722173822NAL0003117713001, received 2025-07-22, EIN 74-1751768, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.