Associated Press 401(k) Review & Grade
The Associated Press 401k Retirement Savings Plan
New York, NYInformation1,368 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$7,146Employer $ per active participant
$11,034Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$881.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$381,102Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity46.8 / 5094th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.1 / 2585th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.9 / 1566th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score88 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 500–2,499 active participants (310 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 94th |
| Lower admin cost | 85th |
| Employee saving | 66th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Associated Press put in about $7,146 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,829). 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 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 | $9,771,511 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,088,475 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,593,791 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $495,169 |
| Contract administrator fees | $108,400 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $352,156 |
| Benefits paid out | $53,607,105 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $795.4M / $881.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,360 / 1,375 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,312 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Ernst & Young LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Adivsers Inc. | $235,656 reported compensation |
| Procyon Institutional Partners LLC | $116,500 reported compensation |
| Vanguard Group Inc. | $111,100 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015175529NAL0010914978001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 13-0452880, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.
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