Phelps Dunbar, LLP 401(k) Review & Grade
Phelps Dunbar, LLP Savings and Retirement Plan
New Orleans, LAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services680 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$10,648Employer $ per active participant
$9,649Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$294.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$355,691Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity46.0 / 5092th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.9 / 2584th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.3 / 1556th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score75 / 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 | 92th |
| Lower admin cost | 84th |
| Employee saving | 56th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- Phelps Dunbar, LLP put in about $10,648 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 | $7,246,016 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $6,566,284 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,466,102 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $172,039 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $19,728 |
| Other admin expenses | $566 |
| Benefits paid out | $19,686,697 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $258.9M / $294.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 634 / 727 |
| Participants with account balances | 829 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bourgeois Bennett, LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Milliman | $57,988 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning | $51,292 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $43,627 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013120200NAL0000568611001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 72-0358621, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.