IBM Retirement Plan

Plan Overview

IBM sponsors the IBM 401(k) Plus Plan, a 401(k) plan headquartered in NY. Based on DOL Form 5500 filings, the plan holds approximately $39.8B in total assets across 210,000 total participants, with 140,000 actively contributing (approximately 66.7% participation rate). The average balance per participant is approximately $190K (Source: DOL Form 5500). Note that individual balances vary significantly based on tenure, contribution rates, and investment selections.

Fee Analysis

IBM's plan has an expense ratio of approximately 0.16%, which is approximately in line with the national average in our database of 0.21% (Source: DOL Form 5500). Total administrative expenses reported were $65.0M. For context, a 0.16% expense ratio means approximately $163 in annual fees for every $100,000 in plan assets. Over 30 years, even small fee differences compound significantly. A 1% fee difference on $500,000 costs approximately $5,000 per year in direct charges alone, and the compounding effect magnifies this over decades.

Plan Health Indicators

Key health indicators for this plan: participation rate is approximately 66.7% (140,000 active out of 210,000 total). The participation rate is moderate. There may be room for improvement through enhanced enrollment campaigns or auto-enrollment features. Average annual contributions per active participant are approximately $18K. Average assets per participant are approximately $190K (Source: DOL Form 5500). These figures represent plan-level averages and individual situations vary considerably.

Data Limitations

Form 5500 data provides a valuable snapshot of plan-level metrics, but has important limitations. Filings typically lag 6 to 18 months behind current conditions. Expense ratios reflect plan-level administrative costs, which may differ from individual fund expense ratios available within the plan. Assets per participant is a simple average that masks wide variation in individual balances. Plan mergers, acquisitions, and name changes can complicate year-over-year comparisons. For the most current information about your specific plan, review your Summary Annual Report or contact your plan administrator (Source: DOL Form 5500, EFAST2).