William Blair & Company, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
William Blair 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan
Chicago, ILFinance & Insurance1,748 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$13,775Employer $ per active participant
$24,153Employee $ saved per active participant
0.02%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.2BNet plan assets, end of year
$449,385Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity48.3 / 5097th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.9 / 2596th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.8 / 1599th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score84 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 97th |
| Lower admin cost | 96th |
| Employee saving | 99th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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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 ($2,728 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $190,515 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- William Blair & Company put in about $13,775 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,606). 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.
- 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 | $24,079,240 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $42,219,782 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $7,826,058 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $211,160 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $190,020 |
| Benefits paid out | $86,529,287 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.1B / $1.2B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,816 / 1,680 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,657 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Grant Thornton LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Callan Associates Inc | $252,144 reported compensation |
| Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | $21,924 reported compensation |
| Schwab Retirement Plan Services,inc | $21,140 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250915091919NAL0000863121001, received 2025-09-15, EIN 36-2214610, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.