A LOOK AT 401(K) PLAN FEES
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To help you use this information, see EBSA’s publication Maximize Your Retirement Savings –
Tips on Using the Fee and Investment Information From Your Retirement Plan. These tips also
will help you use the periodic fee and investment information from your plan to see if you want
to make any changes.
n Your 401(k) plan’s summary plan description (SPD) will tell you what the plan provides and
how it operates. It may tell you about the investments your plan offers, the fees and expenses
your plan pays, and how those expenses are allocated among plan participants. A copy of the
SPD is furnished to participants when they join a plan and then every 5 years if there are material
modications or every 10 years if there are no modications.
n The plan’s annual report (Form 5500 series) contains information about the plan’s assets,
liabilities, income, and expenses, and shows the aggregate administrative fees and other expenses
paid by the plan. However, it will not show expenses deducted from investment results or
fees and expenses paid by your individual account. You may examine the annual report for
free online. In general, the summary annual report, which summarizes the annual report
information, is distributed yearly.
You also may request copies of prospectuses or similar documents from your plan as well as nancial
statements provided to your plan, and share values for your plan’s investment options (with the
valuation date). In addition, you may want to consult the business section of major daily newspapers,
business and nancial Websites and publications, rating services, or the business librarian at the public
library. These sources will provide information and help you compare the performance and expenses
of your 401(k) plan investment options with investments outside your 401(k) plan.
If, after doing your own analysis, you have questions about the rates of return or fees of your plan’s
investment options, ask your plan administrator for an explanation.
What other factors might impact the fees and expenses of my
401(k) plan?
n Funds that are “actively managed” (i.e., funds with an investment adviser who continually
researches, monitors, and actively trades the holdings of the fund to seek a higher return than
the market) generally have higher fees. The higher fees are associated with the more active
management provided and sales charges from the higher level of trading activity. While actively
managed funds seek to provide higher returns than the market, neither active management nor
higher fees necessarily guarantee higher returns.
n Funds that are “passively managed” generally have lower management fees. Passively managed
funds seek to obtain the investment results of an established market index, such as the Standard
and Poor’s 500, by duplicating the holdings included in the index. Thus, passively managed
funds require little research or trading activity.
n If the services and investment alternatives under your plan are offered through a bundled
program, then some or all of the plan service costs may not be separately charged to the plan or
to your employer. For example, the asset-based fees charged on investments may subsidize these
costs. Compare the services received in light of the total fees paid.