Stifel Financial Corp. 401(k) Review & Grade
Stifel Financial Profit Sharing 401(k) Plan
ST Louis, MOFinance & Insurance8,246 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,749Employer $ per active participant
$16,210Employee $ saved per active participant
0.02%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.3BNet plan assets, end of year
$230,086Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity5.6 / 5011th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.7 / 2595th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.3 / 1595th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-23 pts3 issues reported on the filing
Total score31 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (199 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 11th |
| Lower admin cost | 95th |
| Employee saving | 95th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 66% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($35,414 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Prohibited transactions: the plan reported non-exempt transactions with a party in interest.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $55,657 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Stifel Financial put in about $1,749 per active participant, below the typical peer ($4,489). 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.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $14,422,254 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $133,670,206 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $20,368,170 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $394,367 |
| Benefits paid out | $183,551,810 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.0B / $2.3B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 8,189 / 8,303 |
| Participants with account balances | 10,083 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $188,099,326 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $363,056 reported compensation |
| Forvis Mazars, LLP | $31,311 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250715094029NAL0001947169001, received 2025-07-15, EIN 43-1273600, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.