Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan
Chicago, ILFinance & Insurance2,227 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,165Employer $ per active participant
$15,343Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.1BNet plan assets, end of year
$290,524Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity29.0 / 5058th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.3 / 2585th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.6 / 1591th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score64 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 58th |
| Lower admin cost | 85th |
| Employee saving | 91th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,092 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Chicago Mercantile Exchange put in about $4,165 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,606). 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 | $9,275,636 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $34,169,962 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,340,801 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $567,547 |
| Contract administrator fees | $101,212 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $444,705 |
| Benefits paid out | $68,756,182 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $932.3M / $1.1B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,209 / 2,245 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,718 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $200,850 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Inst Op Co LLC | $156,305 reported compensation |
| Willis Towers Watson | $101,212 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009133855NAL0003957811001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 36-4340266, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.