American Campus Communities Services 401(k) Review & Grade
American Campus Communities Services, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Austin, TXProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services2,346 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$416Employer $ per active participant
$2,778Employee $ saved per active participant
0.50%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$65.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$31,611Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity6.0 / 5012th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost5.8 / 2523th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.1 / 1514th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score24 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 12th |
| Lower admin cost | 23th |
| Employee saving | 14th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- American Campus Communities Services put in about $416 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,082). 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 (0.50% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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 | $975,308 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $6,517,469 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $270,242 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $314,544 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $60,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $8,492,344 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $59.7M / $65.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,657 / 3,035 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,078 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Peggy S. Edge, CPA, LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $244,494 reported compensation |
| Global Retirement Partners LLC | $45,000 reported compensation |
| Wellth Advisory Services LLC | $15,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251008173558NAL0006194881001, received 2025-10-08, EIN 20-1560940, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.