Ross Stores, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Ross Stores, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan
Dublin, CARetail Trade58,560 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$484Employer $ per active participant
$1,014Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.0BNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity16.7 / 5033th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost16.1 / 2565th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.1 / 1528th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score37 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 33th |
| Lower admin cost | 65th |
| Employee saving | 28th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $13,321 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ross Stores put in about $484 per active participant, below the typical peer ($689). 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.
- 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 | $28,368,202 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $59,403,351 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $10,985,376 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $562,955 |
| Contract administrator fees | $562,955 |
| Benefits paid out | $80,902,998 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $872.2M / $1.0B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 60,481 / 56,638 |
| Participants with account balances | 15,631 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Deloitte & Touche LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $659,330 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250827145936NAL0009505201001, received 2025-08-27, EIN 94-1390387, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.