AT&T Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
AT&T Savings and Security Plan
Dallas, TXInformation24,546 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$888Employer $ per active participant
$1,989Employee $ saved per active participant
0.09%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.3BNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity5.2 / 5010th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost11.8 / 2547th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.0 / 157th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score21 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 10,000+ active participants (30 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 10th |
| Lower admin cost | 47th |
| Employee saving | 7th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 60% |
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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
- AT&T put in about $888 per active participant, below the typical peer ($5,217). 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.
- 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.
- 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 | $21,801,000 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $48,825,000 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $8,801,000 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $2,015,000 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $1,415,000 |
| Other admin expenses | $25,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $225,630,000 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.1B / $2.3B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 25,236 / 23,855 |
| Participants with account balances | 11,380 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $325,051,000 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Financial Engines, Inc. | $836,000 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $730,017 reported compensation |
| AT&T Inc. | $126,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251008164728NAL0009795232001, received 2025-10-08, EIN 43-1301883, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.