F5, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
F5, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust
Seattle, WAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services3,118 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,348Employer $ per active participant
$19,189Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.1BNet plan assets, end of year
$257,662Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity28.5 / 5057th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.9 / 2584th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.3 / 1595th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score64 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (231 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 57th |
| Lower admin cost | 84th |
| Employee saving | 95th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $21,373 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- F5 put in about $3,348 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,951). 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.
- 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 | $10,438,660 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $59,820,758 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $9,971,080 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $397,230 |
| Contract administrator fees | $7,500 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $263,932 |
| Benefits paid out | $86,809,120 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $907.2M / $1.1B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,243 / 2,992 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,135 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Clark Nuber P.S. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $193,932 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $101,930 reported compensation |
| RBC Wealth Managemen | $70,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014172938NAL0007032466001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 91-1714307, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.