Google LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Google LLC 401(k) Savings Plan
Mountain View, CAInformation115,516 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$10,505Employer $ per active participant
$30,600Employee $ saved per active participant
0.01%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$48.7BNet plan assets, end of year
$315,177Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity48.3 / 5097th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost24.4 / 2597th 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 score94 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 10,000+ active participants (30 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 97th |
| Lower admin cost | 97th |
| Employee saving | 97th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 60% |
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $931,785 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Google put in about $10,505 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($5,217). 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 | $1,213,532,482 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,534,823,621 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $321,652,611 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $2,685,747 |
| Other admin expenses | $2,685,747 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,592,902,569 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $39.0B / $48.7B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 116,712 / 114,321 |
| Participants with account balances | 154,637 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Crowe LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $1,907,041 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $834,706 reported compensation |
| Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | $261,716 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250827123612NAL0005026227001, received 2025-08-27, EIN 77-0493581, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.
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