American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plan
Pittsburgh, PARetail Trade13,675 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,259Employer $ per active participant
$2,634Employee $ saved per active participant
0.18%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$538.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$40,446Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity39.0 / 5078th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost5.3 / 2521th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.7 / 1578th 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: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 78th |
| Lower admin cost | 21th |
| Employee saving | 78th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,449 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- American Eagle Outfitters put in about $1,259 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($689). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.18% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- 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 | $17,214,148 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $36,013,585 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,622,683 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $890,830 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $65,437 |
| Other admin expenses | $50,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $56,006,016 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $471.3M / $538.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 9,217 / 18,133 |
| Participants with account balances | 13,304 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Ernst and Young LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $775,393 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $65,437 reported compensation |
| Mercer Investments LLC | $50,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010153210NAL0012908848001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 13-2721761, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.