Massachusetts › Arts, entertainment and recreation › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2022 to 31 Dec 2022
New England Aquarium Corporation 403(b) Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan
Sponsored by New England Aquarium, Boston, 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.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2022, New England Aquarium Corporation 403(b) Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan covered 531 participants and held $18.2M in net assets. The plan is a 401(k) plan sponsored by New England Aquarium of Boston, Massachusetts.
Net assets came to $37,550 per participant in plan year 2024, below the $46,267 median for defined contribution plans with 500 to 999 participants and close to the $37,341 median for defined contribution plans in arts, entertainment and recreation. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
The filing reports no service provider compensation on Schedule C. That is common where fees are paid by the employer or taken from investment returns, neither of which appears there. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $9,612.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $21.5M in 2023 to $18.2M in 2025 (down 15%), and participants from 553 to 531 (down 4%).
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, plan year 2024 | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $37,550 | $46,267 | $37,341 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $1,934 | $1,567 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $9.40 | $113 | $89.78 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.03% | 0.25% | 0.27% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $11.37 | $109 | $83.28 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 500 to 999 participants (10,588 plans), arts, entertainment and recreation (1,025) and all US plans (63,460). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 531 | $18.2M | $34,343 | — | $865K | $0 |
| 2024 | 589 | $22.1M | $37,550 | — | $0 | $6,000 |
| 2023 | 553 | $21.5M | $38,799 | — | $1.1M | $6,000 |
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$21,480,913
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions$865,001
- Rollovers and other contributions$2,219
- Total contributions$867,220
- Total income, including investment results−$2,848,955
- Benefits paid$386,400
- Administrative expenses$9,612
- Total expenses$396,012
- Net income−$3,244,967
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$18,235,946
Participants
- Active participants273
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits3
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits255
- Participants with account balances386
- Total participants, end of year531
Fees and service providers
No service provider organisations are listed on Schedule C for this plan year.
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
- Contract administrator fees$9,612
- Total administrative expenses$9,612
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.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$14.9M · 81.4%
- Pooled separate accounts$2.6M · 14.3%
- Insurance company general account$746K · 4.1%
- Receivables$31K · 0.2%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmCaron & Bletzer PLLC
- 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
2EProfit-sharing plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2LCode section 403(b)(1) arrangement (annuity contracts)2MCode section 403(b)(7) accounts (custodial accounts for regulated investment company stock)3DPre-approved pension plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 712100: Museums, Historical Sites, & Similar Institutions.
Other plans of New England Aquarium
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| New England Aquarium 403(b) Retirement Plan | 293 | $10.1M |
| New England Aquarium Corporation Pension Plan | 126 | $4.6M |
Similar plans in Massachusetts
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartan Race, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Spartan Race, Inc. | 549 | $5.0M | $9,076 |
| Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan for the Staff Employees of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. | Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. | 450 | $36.9M | $81,985 |
| Museum of Science Retirement Plan | Museum of Science | 563 | $33.1M | $58,819 |
| Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health 403(b) Plan | Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health | 404 | $5.6M | $13,958 |
| Museum of Science Savings Plan | Museum of Science | 731 | $46.6M | $63,776 |
| Old Sturbridge Village 403(b) DC Plan | Old Sturbridge Inc. | 389 | $15.3M | $39,376 |
Defined contribution plans in arts, entertainment and recreation closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is New England Aquarium Corporation 403(b) Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan?
531 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2022, of whom 273 were active employees, with net assets of $18,235,946. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 500 to 999 participants band, which held 10,588 plans in plan year 2024.
What does New England Aquarium contribute per participant?
This filing has no Schedule H financial statement, so employer contributions are not reported here.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports no provider compensation for the year. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $9,612. 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 New England Aquarium. The financial statements were audited by Caron & Bletzer PLLC. 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 2022 to 31 Dec 2022, received by the Department of Labor on 12 Mar 2026. 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 04-2297514, plan 007, received 12 Mar 2026; 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.