Delta Dental of California 401(k) Review & Grade
Delta Dental of California 401(k) Plan
San Francisco, CAHealth Care & Social Assistance3,388 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$10,972Employer $ per active participant
$10,944Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$723.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$169,694Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity49.2 / 5098th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.4 / 2582th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.5 / 1597th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score91 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (312 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 98th |
| Lower admin cost | 82th |
| Employee saving | 97th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 38% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $17,156 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Delta Dental of California put in about $10,972 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($800). 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 | $37,169,077 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $37,073,153 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,091,903 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $296,867 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $136,071 |
| Benefits paid out | $61,832,777 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $626.3M / $723.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,522 / 3,253 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,262 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Armanino, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Schwab Retirement Plan Services Inc | $297,147 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251008165325NAL0013895986001, received 2025-10-08, EIN 94-1461312, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.