Union Pacific Railroad Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Union Pacific Agreement Employee 401k Retirement Thrift Plan
Omaha, NETransportation & Warehousing28,206 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$51Employer $ per active participant
$3,715Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.4BNet plan assets, end of year
$121,384Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity1.1 / 502th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.0 / 2556th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.0 / 1547th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score12 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 10,000+ active participants (46 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 2th |
| Lower admin cost | 56th |
| Employee saving | 47th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 30% |
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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 ($62 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $17,705 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Union Pacific Railroad put in about $51 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,415). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- 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 | $1,434,885 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $104,770,529 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $914,964 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,737,199 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $1,631,993 |
| Benefits paid out | $199,962,323 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.3B / $2.4B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 28,813 / 27,598 |
| Participants with account balances | 19,688 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Deloitte & Touche LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $1,631,993 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc | $105,206 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010081844NAL0012119760001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 94-6001323, plan #015, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.