New York › Educational services › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jul 2024 to 30 Jun 2025
Birch Family Services 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan
Sponsored by Birch Family Services, Inc., New York, NY
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.
Birch Family Services 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan is a 403(b) plan sponsored by Birch Family Services, Inc. of New York, New York. For the plan year ending 30 Jun 2025 it reported 966 participants, 874 of them active, and net assets of $18.1M.
Net assets came to $18,690 per participant, well below the $46,267 median for defined contribution plans with 500 to 999 participants and well below the $73,018 median for defined contribution plans in educational services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Schedule C lists 4 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $117K: $121 per participant, above the same-size median of $113. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $117K. 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 $1.7M in 2010 to $18.1M in 2024 (up 933%), and participants from 841 to 966 (up 15%).
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 DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $18,690 | $46,267 | $73,018 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $1,934 | $2,838 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $121 | $113 | $95.66 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.65% | 0.25% | 0.13% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $121 | $109 | $89.26 | $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), educational services (2,753) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 966 | $18.1M | $18,690 | — | $2.2M | $117K |
| 2023 | 898 | $14.5M | $16,148 | $0 | $2.0M | $115K |
| 2022 | 897 | $11.7M | $13,042 | — | $1.8M | $113K |
| 2021 | 869 | $9.9M | $11,358 | — | $1.6M | $120K |
| 2020 | 868 | $10.9M | $12,525 | — | $1.4M | $78K |
| 2019 | 935 | $7.6M | $8,150 | — | $1.3M | $66K |
| 2018 | 984 | $7.0M | $7,122 | — | $1.2M | $34K |
| 2017 | 1,179 | $6.2M | $5,230 | $0 | $852K | $5,000 |
| 2016 | 901 | $4.9M | $5,478 | $0 | $588K | $4,000 |
| 2015 | 905 | $4.2M | $4,632 | $0 | $567K | $2,000 |
| 2014 | 840 | $4.3M | $5,065 | $0 | $574K | $2,000 |
| 2013 | 992 | $4.1M | $4,139 | $0 | $649K | $1,000 |
| 2012 | 944 | $2.8M | $2,994 | — | $578K | $13K |
| 2011 | 921 | $2.3M | $2,464 | — | $590K | $11K |
| 2010 | 841 | $1.7M | $2,077 | — | $606K | $5,000 |
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$14,501,028
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions$2,186,178
- Rollovers and other contributions$57,288
- Total contributions$2,243,466
- Total income, including investment results$4,289,930
- Benefits paid$571,138
- Administrative expenses$116,758
- Total expenses$736,237
- Net income$3,553,693
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$18,054,721
Participants
- Active participants874
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits2
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits88
- Participants with account balances789
- Total participants, end of year966
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln National Corporation | Contract Administrator | $76,133 | $0 |
| Baker Tilly Virchow Krause | Accounting (including auditing) | $22,007 | $0 |
| USI Advisors, Inc. | Investment advisory (participants) | $12,700 | $0 |
| Smith & Downey | Legal | $5,918 | $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
- Contract administrator fees$76,133
- IQPA audit fees$22,007
- Investment advisory and management fees$12,700
- Legal fees$5,918
- Total administrative expenses$116,758
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)$17.2M · 95.5%
- Insurance company general account$588K · 3.3%
- Participant loans$226K · 1.3%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmBaker Tilly US, LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- 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
2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2LCode section 403(b)(1) arrangement (annuity contracts)2MCode section 403(b)(7) accounts (custodial accounts for regulated investment company stock)2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3DPre-approved pension plan2S401(k) plan or 403(b) plan that provides for automatic enrollment
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 611000: Educational Services (including schools, colleges, & universities).
Other plans of Birch Family Services, Inc.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Birch Family Services Retirement Plan | 823 | $26.7M |
Similar plans in New York
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roberts Wesleyan University Retirement Plan | Roberts Wesleyan University | 1,013 | $45.0M | $44,432 |
| Manhattan School of Music Retirement Savings Plan | Manhattan School of Music | 932 | $58.8M | $63,125 |
| Manhattanville University 403(b) Retirement Plan | Manhattanville University | 1,015 | $135M | $132,567 |
| Ascend Learning, Inc. 403(b) Plan | Ascend Learning, Inc. | 920 | $14.7M | $15,995 |
| The Juilliard School Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | The Juilliard School | 1,027 | $180M | $174,942 |
| The New Teacher Project 403(b) Plan | TNTP, Inc. | 908 | $87.1M | $95,964 |
Defined contribution plans in educational services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Birch Family Services 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan?
966 participants at the end of the plan year ending 30 Jun 2025, of whom 874 were active employees, with net assets of $18,054,721. 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 Birch Family Services, Inc. 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 $116,758 in compensation to service provider organisations, $121 per participant or 0.65% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $113 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $116,758. 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 Birch Family Services, Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: Lincoln National Corporation. Investment advisory or management: USI Advisors, Inc.. The financial statements were audited by Baker Tilly US, LLP. 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 Jul 2024 to 30 Jun 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 15 Apr 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 11-2503193, plan 001, received 15 Apr 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.