Washington Gas Light Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Washington Gas Light Company Cap Appr Plan/union
Washington, DCUtilities904 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$5,032Employer $ per active participant
$5,300Employee $ saved per active participant
0.31%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$148.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$137,806Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity18.9 / 5038th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.9 / 2540th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.6 / 1511th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features7 / 10Auto-enrollment
Total score37 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Utilities plans with 500–2,499 active participants (75 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 38th |
| Lower admin cost | 40th |
| Employee saving | 11th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 76% |
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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
- Washington Gas Light put in about $5,032 per active participant, below the typical peer ($6,264). 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 | $4,551,017 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,794,215 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $233,623 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $435,133 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $235,606 |
| Benefits paid out | $13,312,007 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $135.0M / $148.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 933 / 876 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,074 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Grant Thornton LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $188,482 reported compensation |
| Groom Law Group Chartered | $83,311 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $70,541 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010090415NAL0007842449001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 53-0162882, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.