Thales USA, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Thales Incentive 401(k) Savings Plan
Arlington, VAWholesale Trade4,483 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$8,390Employer $ per active participant
$10,858Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.6BNet plan assets, end of year
$216,645Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity48.5 / 5097th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.0 / 2580th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.7 / 1598th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score90 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (103 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 97th |
| Lower admin cost | 80th |
| Employee saving | 98th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,051 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Thales USA put in about $8,390 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,459). 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 | $37,610,396 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $48,678,326 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $16,167,163 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $673,120 |
| Contract administrator fees | $3,000 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $163,053 |
| Benefits paid out | $107,356,710 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.3B / $1.6B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,059 / 4,907 |
| Participants with account balances | 7,370 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Pickett, Chaney & Mcmullen LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $482,088 reported compensation |
| Clearstead Advisors, LLC | $163,053 reported compensation |
| Pickett, Chaney & Mcmullen LLP | $28,050 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014113737NAL0002779617001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 06-0938363, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.