Ut-Battelle, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Savings Plan for Employees at Ornl
Oak Ridge, TNProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services6,848 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,357Employer $ per active participant
$12,180Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.8BNet plan assets, end of year
$196,912Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity28.7 / 5057th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost22.7 / 2591th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.4 / 1570th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score69 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (231 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 57th |
| Lower admin cost | 91th |
| Employee saving | 70th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $74,478 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ut-Battelle put in about $3,357 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,951). 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.
- 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 | $22,990,351 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $83,408,471 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $14,005,861 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $470,170 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $12,914 |
| Other admin expenses | $148,511 |
| Benefits paid out | $119,074,698 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.6B / $1.8B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 6,616 / 7,080 |
| Participants with account balances | 8,903 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Mcconnell & Jones LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Schwab Retirement Plan Services Inc | $320,689 reported compensation |
| Usi Insurance Services, LLC | $148,511 reported compensation |
| Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | $6,949 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250919121337NAL0005381410001, received 2025-09-19, EIN 62-1788235, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.