Syneos Health 401(k) Review & Grade
Syneos Health Savings and Retirement Plan
Morrisville, NCProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services10,969 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,761Employer $ per active participant
$9,977Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.6BNet plan assets, end of year
$105,543Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity22.5 / 5045th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost16.8 / 2567th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.1 / 1561th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score45 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 10,000+ active participants (70 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 45th |
| Lower admin cost | 67th |
| Employee saving | 61th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 39% |
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
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $57,975 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Syneos Health put in about $2,761 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,932). 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 | $30,286,736 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $109,433,434 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $25,066,332 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $835,010 |
| Contract administrator fees | $3,000 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $377,109 |
| Other admin expenses | $132,750 |
| Benefits paid out | $211,956,873 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.4B / $1.6B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 12,111 / 9,827 |
| Participants with account balances | 14,922 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | RSM US LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $377,109 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $304,616 reported compensation |
| Captrust Financial Advisors | $132,750 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251202125002NAL0011659201001, received 2025-12-02, EIN 33-0723120, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.