Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP 401(k) Review & Grade
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP Defined Contribution Plan
New York, NYProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services629 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$11,639Employer $ per active participant
$18,151Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$516.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$395,820Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity46.8 / 5094th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.4 / 2594th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.5 / 1597th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score85 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 94th |
| Lower admin cost | 94th |
| Employee saving | 97th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
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
- Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP put in about $11,639 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,082). 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 | $7,320,774 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $11,416,853 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,550,916 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $130,651 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $42,168 |
| Benefits paid out | $47,944,088 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $479.7M / $516.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 633 / 625 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,306 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Eisneramper LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $42,168 reported compensation |
| Sageview Advisory | $33,000 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Invest Inst Oper Comp LLC | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015101558NAL0002131923001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 13-4980350, plan #028, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.