Bellsouth, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Bellsouth Savings and Security Plan
Dallas, TXInformation11,626 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,184Employer $ per active participant
$4,603Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.5BNet plan assets, end of year
$224,781Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity6.9 / 5014th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.7 / 2571th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.1 / 1514th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score30 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 10,000+ active participants (30 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 14th |
| Lower admin cost | 71th |
| Employee saving | 14th |
| 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
- Bellsouth put in about $1,184 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 | $13,764,000 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $53,520,000 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,955,000 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,219,000 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $1,099,000 |
| Other admin expenses | $20,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $236,585,000 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.3B / $2.5B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 11,993 / 11,259 |
| Participants with account balances | 11,243 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $192,612,000 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Financial Engines, Inc. | $417,000 reported compensation |
| Blackrock Financial Management Inc. | $371,000 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $217,496 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251008164923NAL0003157075001, received 2025-10-08, EIN 58-1533433, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.