American Water Works Company, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Savs PL for Emps of Amer WTR WKS Co Inc & Its Desig Subs
Camden, NJUtilities6,634 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,556Employer $ per active participant
$7,719Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.4BNet plan assets, end of year
$169,672Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity25.7 / 5051th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost22.5 / 2590th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.2 / 1522th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score58 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Utilities plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (38 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 51th |
| Lower admin cost | 90th |
| Employee saving | 22th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 82% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,757 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- American Water Works Company put in about $6,556 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($6,490). 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 | $43,496,846 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $51,214,536 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,639,424 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $398,684 |
| Contract administrator fees | $80,218 |
| Other admin expenses | $9,750 |
| Benefits paid out | $125,042,029 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.3B / $1.4B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 6,548 / 6,721 |
| Participants with account balances | 8,219 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Kreischer Miller |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $382,534 reported compensation |
| Qdro Consultants | $6,400 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013165014NAL0000837235003, received 2025-10-13, EIN 51-0063696, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.