Stride, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Stride, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Reston, VAEducational Services8,108 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,145Employer $ per active participant
$3,464Employee $ saved per active participant
0.24%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$257.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$26,100Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity24.2 / 5048th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.3 / 2529th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.2 / 1555th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score50 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Educational Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (34 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 48th |
| Lower admin cost | 29th |
| Employee saving | 55th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 65% |
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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
- Stride put in about $1,145 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,155). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.24% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- 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 | $9,287,314 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $28,084,914 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,803,938 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $556,081 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $64,984 |
| Benefits paid out | $24,001,176 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $212.1M / $257.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 7,853 / 8,364 |
| Participants with account balances | 9,874 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $443,847 reported compensation |
| Mercer (US) Inc Mercer Investments | $64,984 reported compensation |
| BKD, LLP | $47,250 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250926073712NAL0003883187001, received 2025-09-26, EIN 95-4774688, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.