Steptoe LLP 401(k) Review & Grade
Steptoe LLP 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan
Washington, DCProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services714 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$11,990Employer $ per active participant
$16,422Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$455.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$409,145Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity47.0 / 5094th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.8 / 2587th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.0 / 1593th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score90 / 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 | 94th |
| Lower admin cost | 87th |
| Employee saving | 93th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $14,890 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Steptoe LLP put in about $11,990 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 | $8,554,905 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $11,717,218 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $10,335,771 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $214,980 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $186,758 |
| Benefits paid out | $33,993,697 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $399.8M / $455.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 700 / 727 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,114 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Frontier Asset Management LLC | $62,360 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning LLC | $59,617 reported compensation |
| May Barnhard Investments LLC D | $31,468 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251027163307NAL0005830529001, received 2025-10-27, EIN 52-1349790, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.