The Sphere Institute 401(k) Review & Grade
The Sphere Institute/acumen LLC 401(k) Plan
Burlingame, CAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services685 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,271Employer $ per active participant
$9,243Employee $ saved per active participant
0.12%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$74.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$82,885Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity18.8 / 5038th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.6 / 2570th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.8 / 1552th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score54 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 38th |
| Lower admin cost | 70th |
| Employee saving | 52th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- Sphere Institute put in about $2,271 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,082). 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 | $1,555,449 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $6,331,632 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $60,242 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $77,770 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $1,561 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,826,908 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $59.9M / $74.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 752 / 618 |
| Participants with account balances | 904 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Miller Kaplan Arase LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $61,759 reported compensation |
| Miller Kaplan Arase LLP | $13,750 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250911102256NAL0000227601001, received 2025-09-11, EIN 91-1748201, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.