Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 401(k) Review & Grade
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 401(k) Plan
Cincinnati, OHArts, Entertainment & Recreation917 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$724Employer $ per active participant
$2,700Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$22.7MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity19.4 / 5039th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.5 / 2594th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.7 / 1558th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score62 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation plans with 500–2,499 active participants (225 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 39th |
| Lower admin cost | 94th |
| Employee saving | 58th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 38% |
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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
- Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra put in about $724 per active participant, below the typical peer ($995). 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.
- 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 | $664,211 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,475,950 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $6,460 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $5,123 |
| Contract administrator fees | $4,675 |
| Other admin expenses | $448 |
| Benefits paid out | $900,120 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $17.9M / $22.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,071 / 763 |
| Participants with account balances | 275 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Clark, Schaeffer, Hackett & Co. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Latitude Service Company Inc | $9,578 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260615172512NAL0000290128001, received 2026-06-15, EIN 31-0537080, plan #006, plan year 2024-09-01 to 2025-08-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.