Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Llns 401(k) Retirement Plan
Livermore, CAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services8,262 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$15,009Employer $ per active participant
$16,098Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.5BNet plan assets, end of year
$231,383Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity49.1 / 5098th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost22.4 / 2590th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.0 / 1587th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score85 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (231 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 98th |
| Lower admin cost | 90th |
| Employee saving | 87th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $12,898 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Lawrence Livermore National Security put in about $15,009 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,951). 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 | $124,004,397 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $133,003,469 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $25,767,701 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $697,064 |
| Contract administrator fees | $71,202 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $75,097 |
| Other admin expenses | −$83,860 |
| Benefits paid out | $123,576,001 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.0B / $2.5B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 8,087 / 8,437 |
| Participants with account balances | 10,798 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $483,585 reported compensation |
| Bny Mellon Asset Servicing | $101,420 reported compensation |
| Mercer | $75,097 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250930154848NAL0012492129001, received 2025-09-30, EIN 20-5624386, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.