Stericycle, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Stericycle, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan
Bannockburn, ILAdministrative, Support & Staffing Services8,994 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,281Employer $ per active participant
$3,382Employee $ saved per active participant
0.20%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$417.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$42,497Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity38.3 / 5077th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.6 / 2534th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.4 / 1576th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score65 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Administrative, Support & Staffing Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (125 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 77th |
| Lower admin cost | 34th |
| Employee saving | 76th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 22% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $408,414 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Stericycle put in about $1,281 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($342). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.20% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- 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 | $11,525,362 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $30,418,352 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,871,326 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $815,308 |
| Contract administrator fees | $4,200 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $235,222 |
| Benefits paid out | $57,519,981 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $389.9M / $417.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 9,251 / 8,738 |
| Participants with account balances | 9,824 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Weaver and Tidwell L.L.P. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $566,158 reported compensation |
| Towers Watson Investment Services, | $168,184 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $67,038 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009162819NAL0016639842001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 36-3640402, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.