Quarles & Brady LLP 401(k) Review & Grade
Quarles & Brady LLP Retirement Plan
Milwaukee, WIProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,010 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$9,378Employer $ per active participant
$14,972Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$594.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$393,290Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity44.6 / 5089th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.8 / 2583th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.2 / 1588th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score89 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 89th |
| Lower admin cost | 83th |
| Employee saving | 88th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Quarles & Brady LLP put in about $9,378 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,082). 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 | $9,471,781 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,122,145 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,949,048 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $367,808 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $217,605 |
| Other admin expenses | $19,295 |
| Benefits paid out | $49,908,916 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $549.9M / $594.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,027 / 993 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,511 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Heck Capital Advisors | $109,979 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group Inc | $107,712 reported compensation |
| Vanguard Advisors, Inc. | $107,626 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260714071539NAL0000767267002, received 2026-07-14, EIN 39-0432630, plan #002, plan year 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30. Verify at efast.dol.gov.