Sotheby's, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Sotheby's, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan
New York, NYProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services824 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,650Employer $ per active participant
$7,798Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$248.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$149,250Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity29.8 / 5060th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.8 / 2579th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.0 / 1540th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score63 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 60th |
| Lower admin cost | 79th |
| Employee saving | 40th |
| 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
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $11,548 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Sotheby's put in about $3,650 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.
- 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 | $3,007,257 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $6,425,380 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $677,408 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $190,421 |
| Other admin expenses | $190,421 |
| Benefits paid out | $20,424,126 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $227.2M / $248.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 834 / 814 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,665 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $94,915 reported compensation |
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $71,801 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251007095125NAL0002558739001, received 2025-10-07, EIN 38-2478406, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.