Vox Media, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Vox Media 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust
Washington, DCProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,402 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,542Employer $ per active participant
$11,014Employee $ saved per active participant
0.14%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$179.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$84,297Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity29.0 / 5058th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost16.2 / 2565th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.1 / 1567th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score55 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 58th |
| Lower admin cost | 65th |
| Employee saving | 67th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $3,683 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Vox Media put in about $3,542 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 | $4,965,417 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,441,192 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,601,860 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $232,997 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $74,672 |
| Benefits paid out | $15,567,966 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $150.7M / $179.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,491 / 1,313 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,127 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Cohnreznick |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $158,325 reported compensation |
| Mercer Investment Management Inc | $74,672 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250819095226NAL0002092689001, received 2025-08-19, EIN 20-2057273, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.