Avista Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Investment & Employee Stock Ownership Plan of Avista
Spokane, WAUtilities1,978 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$8,046Employer $ per active participant
$12,848Employee $ saved per active participant
0.10%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$843.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$318,771Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity34.5 / 5069th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.6 / 2574th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.9 / 1566th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score66 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Utilities plans with 500–2,499 active participants (75 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 69th |
| Lower admin cost | 74th |
| Employee saving | 66th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 76% |
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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
- Avista put in about $8,046 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($6,264). 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.
- 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 | $15,914,137 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $25,412,578 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,041,150 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $784,281 |
| Contract administrator fees | $154,198 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $534,755 |
| Other admin expenses | $25,494 |
| Benefits paid out | $54,894,454 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $751.3M / $843.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,962 / 1,994 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,646 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Moss Adams LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $16,899,724 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers, Inc. | $461,878 reported compensation |
| Vanguard Group Inc. | $186,238 reported compensation |
| Sageview Advisory Group LLC | $72,877 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015124740NAL0002430851005, received 2025-10-15, EIN 91-0462470, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.