Boston Scientific Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Boston Scientific Corporation 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Marlborough, MAManufacturing21,281 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,802Employer $ per active participant
$10,417Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$6.8BNet plan assets, end of year
$215,932Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity32.0 / 5064th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.6 / 2578th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.7 / 1565th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score68 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 64th |
| Lower admin cost | 78th |
| Employee saving | 65th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $19,511 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Boston Scientific put in about $6,802 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($5,480). 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 | $144,752,569 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $221,681,717 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $37,056,531 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $2,394,003 |
| Other admin expenses | $2,394,003 |
| Benefits paid out | $458,096,191 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $5.8B / $6.8B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 20,639 / 21,923 |
| Participants with account balances | 31,377 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Ernst & Young LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $539,632,653 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $1,762,535 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $655,583 reported compensation |
| Baker Tilly | $31,505 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250717131129NAL0000166739001, received 2025-07-17, EIN 04-2695240, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.