The British Embassy 401(k) Review & Grade
The British Embassy 401(k) Plan
Washington, DCPublic Administration540 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,868Employer $ per active participant
$5,322Employee $ saved per active participant
0.31%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$46.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$87,467Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity33.9 / 5068th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.8 / 2539th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.0 / 1560th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score43 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: all industries, plans with 500–2,499 active participants (fewer than 30 industry peers) (10,919 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 68th |
| Lower admin cost | 39th |
| Employee saving | 60th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($2,790,312 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $32,930 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- British Embassy put in about $2,868 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,749). 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 reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $1,549,987 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,876,347 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,283 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $136,980 |
| Contract administrator fees | $125,888 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $11,092 |
| Benefits paid out | $5,261,653 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $41.2M / $46.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 564 / 517 |
| Participants with account balances | 532 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Belfint, Lyons & Shuman, P.A. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Transamerica Life Ins. Company | $52,446 reported compensation |
| Edward D Jones & Company | $44,338 reported compensation |
| Uniglobal Pension Planning, Inc. | $29,940 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014115719NAL0001340419001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 52-2150359, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.