New York › Finance and insurance › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
The Guardian Field Representative Employees' Retirement Plan
Sponsored by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, 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.
The Guardian Field Representative Employees' Retirement Plan is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America of New York, New York. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 4,254 participants, 2,068 of them active, and net assets of $536M.
Net assets came to $125,964 per participant, well above the $87,935 median for defined benefit plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and close to the $119,983 median for defined benefit plans in finance and insurance. 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 $27.0M for the year ($13,056 per active participant) and benefits paid were $37.4M. 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 5 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $605K: $142 per participant, well below the same-size median of $325. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $849K. 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 $325M in 2009 to $536M in 2024 (up 65%), and participants from 4,945 to 4,254 (down 14%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $125,964 | $87,935 | $119,983 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $13,056 | $10,593 | $7,849 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $142 | $325 | $352 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.11% | 0.41% | 0.32% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $200 | $513 | $433 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (1,540 plans), finance and insurance (690) 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 | 4,254 | $536M | $125,964 | $27.0M | — | $605K |
| 2023 | 4,158 | $549M | $131,924 | — | — | $574K |
| 2022 | 4,145 | $548M | $132,116 | $42.0M | — | $765K |
| 2021 | 4,210 | $728M | $173,003 | — | — | $684K |
| 2020 | 4,300 | $754M | $175,296 | $0 | — | $1.2M |
| 2019 | 4,320 | $713M | $165,124 | $25.1M | — | $966K |
| 2018 | 4,569 | $602M | $131,712 | $67.0M | — | $1.2M |
| 2017 | 4,684 | $608M | $129,814 | $53.4M | — | $733K |
| 2016 | 4,582 | $499M | $108,946 | — | — | $541K |
| 2015 | 4,534 | $473M | $104,418 | — | — | $306K |
| 2014 | 4,720 | $509M | $107,739 | $7.0M | — | $410K |
| 2013 | 5,610 | $494M | $87,999 | — | — | $163K |
| 2012 | 5,622 | $434M | $77,194 | — | — | $182K |
| 2011 | 5,349 | $391M | $73,135 | $28.0M | — | $354K |
| 2010 | 5,075 | $369M | $72,642 | — | — | $0 |
| 2009 | 4,945 | $325M | $65,635 | $35.0M | — | $0 |
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$548,538,427
- Employer contributions$27,000,000
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$27,000,000
- Total income, including investment results$25,558,127
- Benefits paid$37,395,319
- Administrative expenses$849,087
- Total expenses$38,244,406
- Net income−$12,686,279
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$535,852,148
Participants
- Active participants2,068
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits1,254
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits673
- Total participants, end of year4,254
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Towers Watson | Actuarial | $402,463 | $0 |
| Johnson Lambert, LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | $105,756 | $0 |
| The Townsend Group | Investment management | $33,978 | $0 |
| SS&C Private Equity Services, Inc. | Investment management | $31,483 | $0 |
| Victory Capital Management | Investment management | $31,220 | $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
- Actuarial fees$402,463
- Other administrative expenses$275,670
- IQPA audit fees$105,756
- Investment advisory and management fees$65,198
- Total administrative expenses$849,087
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.
- Master trust investment accounts$509M · 95.0%
- Receivables$27.0M · 5.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmJohnson Lambert LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $7,500,000
- 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
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1ECode section 401(h) arrangement1HPlan covered by PBGC that was terminated and closed out for PBGC purposes
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 524140: Direct Life, Health, & Medical Insurance Carriers.
Other plans of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| The Guardian Home Office Employees' Retirement Pla | 7,536 | $1.25B |
| Guardian Retirement Investment Plan | 6,420 | $1.10B |
| Guardian Cooperative Investment Plan | 3,450 | $444M |
| Guardian Life Employees Incentive Savings Plan | 1,673 | $696M |
Similar plans in New York
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Retirement Plan | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation | 5,506 | $342M | $62,093 |
| Excellus Retirement Plan | Excellus Health Plan, Inc. | 4,148 | $747M | $180,067 |
| Mufg Bank, Ltd. Retirement Plan | Mufg Bank, Ltd. | 5,878 | $1.01B | $172,531 |
| Community Financial System, Inc. Pension Plan | Community Financial System, Inc. | 3,863 | $273M | $70,677 |
| The Guardian Home Office Employees' Retirement Pla | The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America | 7,536 | $1.25B | $166,509 |
| Local 210'S Pension Plan | BD of Trustees Local 210'S Pension Plan C/o Savasta and Company | 3,684 | $67.5M | $18,335 |
Defined benefit plans in finance and insurance closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is The Guardian Field Representative Employees' Retirement Plan?
4,254 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 2,068 were active employees, with net assets of $535,852,148. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 1,540 plans in plan year 2024.
What does The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America contribute per participant?
The filing reports $27,000,000 in employer contributions for the year, which is $13,056 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $10,593 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 $604,900 in compensation to service provider organisations, $142 per participant or 0.11% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $325 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $849,087. 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 The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. Investment advisory or management: The Townsend Group, SS&C Private Equity Services, Inc. and Victory Capital Management. The financial statements were audited by Johnson Lambert 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. 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 13 Oct 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 13-5123390, plan 003, received 13 Oct 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.