General Dynamics Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
General Dynamics Corporation 401(k) Qaca Plan
Reston, VAManufacturing27,821 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,558Employer $ per active participant
$9,978Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$7.9BNet plan assets, end of year
$181,345Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity19.3 / 5039th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.6 / 2582th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.0 / 1560th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score56 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 39th |
| Lower admin cost | 82th |
| Employee saving | 60th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $72,546 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- General Dynamics put in about $4,558 per active participant, below the typical peer ($5,480). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- 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 | $126,796,759 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $277,596,636 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $52,315,696 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $2,431,868 |
| Contract administrator fees | $923,967 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $1,014,920 |
| Other admin expenses | $106,121 |
| Benefits paid out | $767,947,638 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $7.3B / $7.9B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 27,525 / 28,117 |
| Participants with account balances | 43,639 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | KPMG LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisers, Inc | $1,014,920 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Inv. Inst. Ops. Co. LLC | $923,967 reported compensation |
| KPMG LLP | $181,845 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250930142351NAL0012395825001, received 2025-09-30, EIN 13-1673581, plan #068, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.