East West Bank 401(k) Review & Grade
East West Bank Employees 401(k) Savings Plan
Pasadena, CAFinance & Insurance2,928 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,649Employer $ per active participant
$11,051Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$635.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$161,847Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity26.5 / 5053th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.6 / 2570th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.4 / 1576th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score66 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (199 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 53th |
| Lower admin cost | 70th |
| Employee saving | 76th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 66% |
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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
- East West Bank put in about $4,649 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($4,489). 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 | $13,611,619 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $32,355,994 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,457,517 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $383,307 |
| Contract administrator fees | $56,107 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $50,000 |
| Other admin expenses | $405 |
| Benefits paid out | $45,864,589 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $538.0M / $635.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,858 / 2,998 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,928 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
| Employer stock held by plan | $72,082,995 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $267,638 reported compensation |
| Bdo USA, P.C | $65,264 reported compensation |
| Bfsg LLC | $50,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250626190958NAL0012868800001, received 2025-06-26, EIN 95-2795851, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.