Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. Tax-Deferred Savings Plan
Madison, WIInformation8,508 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,153Employer $ per active participant
$8,406Employee $ saved per active participant
0.11%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.8BNet plan assets, end of year
$125,256Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity21.2 / 5042th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost13.1 / 2552th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.6 / 1551th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score52 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (60 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 42th |
| Lower admin cost | 52th |
| Employee saving | 51th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 63% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Telephone and Data Systems put in about $3,153 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,691). 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 | $26,820,331 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $71,515,643 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,195,402 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,950,621 |
| Contract administrator fees | $21,888 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $42,073 |
| Benefits paid out | $191,234,696 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.6B / $1.8B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 8,892 / 8,123 |
| Participants with account balances | 14,210 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo Usa,p.c. |
| Employer stock held by plan | $30,654,303 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Aon Consulting | $1,725,682 reported compensation |
| Northern Trust Company | $141,177 reported compensation |
| Blackrock Institutional Trust Co. | $42,073 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250821093854NAL0002008867001, received 2025-08-21, EIN 36-2669023, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.