Massachusetts › Professional, scientific and technical services › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Retirement Plan for Employees of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Sponsored by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution of Woods Hole, Massachusetts sponsors Retirement Plan for Employees of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a cash balance pension plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 shows 876 participants (263 active) and $191M in net assets.
Net assets came to $217,617 per participant, well above the $86,583 median for defined benefit plans with 500 to 999 participants and above the $176,808 median for defined benefit plans in professional, scientific and technical services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $5.3M for the year ($20,051 per active participant) and benefits paid were $13.3M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 8 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $1.2M: $1,339 per participant, well above the same-size median of $377. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $1.3M. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $153M in 2009 to $191M in 2024 (up 25%), and participants from 1,430 to 876 (down 39%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $217,617 | $86,583 | $176,808 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $20,051 | $10,758 | $35,855 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $1,339 | $377 | $450 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.61% | 0.48% | 0.30% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $1,480 | $591 | $596 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 500 to 999 participants (873 plans), professional, scientific and technical services (277) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 876 | $191M | $217,618 | $5.3M | — | $1.2M |
| 2023 | 913 | $186M | $203,426 | $5.0M | — | $991K |
| 2022 | 942 | $176M | $186,782 | $3.3M | — | $1.3M |
| 2021 | 977 | $221M | $226,118 | $14.2M | — | $1.5M |
| 2020 | 1,023 | $221M | $215,609 | $12.0M | — | $1.5M |
| 2019 | 1,041 | $193M | $185,254 | $8.7M | — | $1.4M |
| 2018 | 1,058 | $171M | $161,733 | $8.5M | — | $1.5M |
| 2017 | 1,094 | $195M | $177,899 | $18.3M | — | $1.6M |
| 2016 | 1,140 | $170M | $148,713 | $6.0M | — | $1.5M |
| 2015 | 1,185 | $174M | $146,620 | $5.3M | — | $1.7M |
| 2014 | 1,220 | $185M | $151,752 | $6.2M | — | $1.7M |
| 2013 | 1,251 | $182M | $145,850 | $6.8M | — | $1.4M |
| 2012 | 1,340 | $198M | $147,907 | $10.5M | — | $1.4M |
| 2011 | 1,360 | $180M | $132,624 | $9.2M | — | $1.3M |
| 2010 | 1,392 | $169M | $121,672 | $12.2M | — | $777K |
| 2009 | 1,430 | $153M | $106,961 | $9.7M | — | $787K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$185,727,550
- Employer contributions$5,273,336
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions$582,775
- Total contributions$5,856,111
- Total income, including investment results$19,486,956
- Benefits paid$13,285,234
- Administrative expenses$1,296,601
- Total expenses$14,581,835
- Net income$4,905,121
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$190,632,671
Participants
- Active participants263
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits376
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits167
- Total participants, end of year876
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Associates | Investment management | $479,746 | $0 |
| Willis Towers Watson US LLC | Actuarial | $426,935 | $0 |
| CBIZ CPAS | Accounting (including auditing) | $92,940 | $0 |
| State Street Bank | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $54,152 | $0 |
| HS Management | Investment management | $42,153 | $0 |
| Acadian Emerging Markets II | Investment management | $39,970 | $0 |
| Clifton Group Parametric | Investment management | $26,925 | $0 |
| Barees Capital Management | Investment management | $10,072 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Other administrative expenses$718,531
- Actuarial fees$426,935
- IQPA audit fees$92,940
- Investment advisory and management fees$58,195
- Total administrative expenses$1,296,601
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Partnership/joint venture interests$134M · 69.5%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$25.2M · 13.1%
- Corporate debt instruments$16.9M · 8.7%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$9.1M · 4.7%
- Receivables$5.3M · 2.8%
- Corporate stocks$2.3M · 1.2%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmCBIZ CPAS P.C.
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $1,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1CCash balance or similar plan1IFrozen plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 541990: All Other Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services.
Other plans of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | 1,696 | $269M |
Similar plans in Massachusetts
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ropes & Gray LLP Pension Plan | Ropes & Gray LLP | 1,726 | $248M | $143,500 |
| The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. U.S. Officers Retirement Plan | The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. | 723 | $511M | $706,861 |
| National Fire Protection Association Employees' Retirement Plan | National Fire Protection Association | 515 | $106M | $206,259 |
| Harte Hanks, Inc. Pension Plan II | Harte Hanks, Inc. | 492 | $30.8M | $62,518 |
| Ropes & Gray LLP Supplemental Retirement Shares Plan | Ropes & Gray LLP | 387 | $251M | $649,772 |
| Retirement Plan for Partners of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP | Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP | 355 | $230M | $647,630 |
Defined benefit plans in professional, scientific and technical services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Retirement Plan for Employees of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution?
876 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 263 were active employees, with net assets of $190,632,671. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 500 to 999 participants band, which held 873 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution contribute per participant?
The filing reports $5,273,336 in employer contributions for the year, which is $20,051 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $10,758 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $1,172,893 in compensation to service provider organisations, $1,339 per participant or 0.61% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $377 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $1,296,601. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Investment advisory or management: Cambridge Associates, HS Management and Acadian Emerging Markets II. Trustee or custodian: State Street Bank. The financial statements were audited by CBIZ CPAS P.C.. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 5 Dec 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 04-2105850, plan 001, received 5 Dec 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.