Appian Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Appian Corporation 401(k) Plan
Mclean, VAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,430 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,535Employer $ per active participant
$15,720Employee $ saved per active participant
0.45%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$237.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$124,906Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity41.0 / 5082th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.7 / 2527th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.7 / 1591th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score61 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 82th |
| Lower admin cost | 27th |
| Employee saving | 91th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,247 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Appian put in about $6,535 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.45% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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.
- 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 | $9,347,899 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $22,487,642 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,072,363 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $974,440 |
| Other admin expenses | $974,440 |
| Benefits paid out | $25,750,788 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $199.2M / $237.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,522 / 1,339 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,902 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and S | $333,450 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015141023NAL0006534848001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 54-1956084, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.