Stripe, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Stripe, Inc. 401k Plan
South San Francisco, CAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services5,529 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,942Employer $ per active participant
$22,662Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$718.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$97,984Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity17.2 / 5034th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.0 / 2584th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.9 / 1599th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score60 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (231 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 34th |
| Lower admin cost | 84th |
| Employee saving | 99th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $27,683 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Stripe put in about $1,942 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,951). 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.
- 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 | $10,735,079 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $125,297,652 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $35,843,051 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $243,365 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Benefits paid out | $50,783,435 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $503.2M / $718.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 5,904 / 5,154 |
| Participants with account balances | 7,329 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Miller Kaplan Arase LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $245,244 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014214040NAL0004958672001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 27-0465600, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.