Dish Network Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Dish Network Corporation 401(k) Plan
Englewood, COInformation12,162 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,868Employer $ per active participant
$4,969Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.6BNet plan assets, end of year
$99,355Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity12.1 / 5024th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost13.4 / 2554th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.6 / 1517th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score35 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 10,000+ active participants (30 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 24th |
| Lower admin cost | 54th |
| Employee saving | 17th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 60% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $122,265 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Dish Network put in about $2,868 per active participant, below the typical peer ($5,217). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- 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 | $34,881,162 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $60,431,710 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,029,435 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $977,400 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,200 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $99,508 |
| Other admin expenses | $81,226 |
| Benefits paid out | $127,578,387 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $805.1M / $1.6B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 12,420 / 11,903 |
| Participants with account balances | 16,508 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bonadio & Co, LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $57,048,162 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $951,620 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $99,508 reported compensation |
| Cook Street Consulting | $57,005 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013153215NAL0003388834001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 88-0336997, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.