Merck Retirement Plan

Plan Overview

Merck sponsors the Merck & Co. Employee Savings Plan, a 401(k) plan headquartered in NJ. Based on DOL Form 5500 filings, the plan holds approximately $16.8B in total assets across 78,000 total participants, with 65,000 actively contributing (approximately 83.3% participation rate). The average balance per participant is approximately $215K (Source: DOL Form 5500). Note that individual balances vary significantly based on tenure, contribution rates, and investment selections.

Fee Analysis

Merck's plan has an expense ratio of approximately 0.18%, which is approximately in line with the national average in our database of 0.21% (Source: DOL Form 5500). Total administrative expenses reported were $30.0M. For context, a 0.18% expense ratio means approximately $179 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 83.3% (65,000 active out of 78,000 total). The participation rate is relatively strong, suggesting the plan may have auto-enrollment or a competitive match structure. Average annual contributions per active participant are approximately $17K. Average assets per participant are approximately $215K (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).