District of Columbia › Professional, scientific and technical services › 250 to 499 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2025
Cato Institute 401(k) Plan
Sponsored by Cato Institute, Washington, DC
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.
Cato Institute of Washington, District of Columbia sponsors Cato Institute 401(k) Plan, a 401(k) plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2025 shows 309 participants (206 active) and $46.8M in net assets.
Net assets came to $136,193 per participant in plan year 2024, well above the $48,746 median for defined contribution plans with 250 to 499 participants and well above the $73,951 median for defined contribution 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.
The employer contributed $1.2M during the year, or $5,593 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,017; participants contributed $1.7M and $214K arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $3.2M.
Schedule C lists 3 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $102K: $331 per participant, well above the same-size median of $141. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $102K. 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 $9.1M in 2010 to $46.8M in 2025 (up 416%), and participants from 130 to 309 (up 138%).
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 | $136,193 | $48,746 | $73,951 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $4,726 | $2,017 | $3,219 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $350 | $141 | $148 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.26% | 0.30% | 0.22% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $226 | $133 | $140 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 250 to 499 participants (17,456 plans), professional, scientific and technical services (9,776) 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 | 309 | $46.8M | $151,314 | $1.2M | $1.7M | $102K |
| 2024 | 296 | $40.3M | $136,193 | $959K | $1.6M | $104K |
| 2023 | 279 | $36.9M | $132,237 | $870K | $1.4M | $102K |
| 2022 | 269 | $30.9M | $114,911 | $857K | $1.3M | $106K |
| 2021 | 244 | $39.0M | $159,639 | $792K | $1.2M | $77K |
| 2020 | 242 | $32.7M | $135,165 | $756K | $1.2M | $64K |
| 2019 | 236 | $26.9M | $114,004 | $768K | $1.1M | $95K |
| 2018 | 248 | $20.5M | $82,540 | $719K | $1.0M | $88K |
| 2017 | 265 | $20.8M | $78,509 | $715K | $1.1M | $78K |
| 2016 | 215 | $17.5M | $81,330 | $168K | $881K | $50K |
| 2015 | 205 | $15.2M | $74,273 | $631K | $843K | $41K |
| 2014 | 182 | $14.8M | $81,231 | $550K | $683K | $45K |
| 2013 | 156 | $13.7M | $88,083 | $442K | $623K | $27K |
| 2012 | 147 | $11.0M | $74,782 | $437K | $573K | $120K |
| 2011 | 135 | $9.5M | $70,696 | $447K | $610K | $113K |
| 2010 | 130 | $9.1M | $69,685 | $430K | $598K | $85K |
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$40,313,170
- Employer contributions$1,152,148
- Participant contributions$1,744,546
- Rollovers and other contributions$213,672
- Total contributions$3,110,366
- Total income, including investment results$9,700,215
- Benefits paid$3,155,434
- Administrative expenses$102,338
- Total expenses$3,257,772
- Net income$6,442,443
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$46,755,613
Participants
- Active participants206
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits3
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits100
- Participants with account balances277
- Total participants, end of year309
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| J P Morgan Broker-Dealer Holdings I | Investment advisory (plan) | $54,912 | $0 |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | Recordkeeping fees | $31,508 | $0 |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | Investment management | $15,918 | $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
- Investment advisory and management fees$70,830
- Recordkeeping fees$31,508
- Total administrative expenses$102,338
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)$45.7M · 97.8%
- Insurance company general account$848K · 1.8%
- Participant loans$166K · 0.4%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmAprio, 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
2AAge/service weighted or new comparability or similar plan2EProfit-sharing plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2KCode section 401(m) arrangement2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3BPlan covering self-employed individuals3DPre-approved pension plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 541990: All Other Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services.
Similar plans in District of Columbia
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Geophysical Union Tda | American Geophysical Union | 317 | $25.0M | $78,732 |
| Otj Architects Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan & Trust | Otj Architects Inc. | 307 | $23.1M | $75,142 |
| Obsidian Global LLC 401(k) Plan | Obsidian Global, LLC | 318 | $11.4M | $35,954 |
| Acdi/voca 401(k) Retirement Plan | Acdi/voca | 303 | $41.9M | $138,354 |
| Bipartisan Policy Center 403(b) Retirement Plan | Bipartisan Policy Center | 318 | $28.6M | $90,084 |
| National Fish & Wildlife Tax Deferred Retirement Plan | National Fish & Wildlife Foundation | 289 | $60.7M | $210,079 |
Defined contribution plans in professional, scientific and technical services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Cato Institute 401(k) Plan?
309 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2025, of whom 206 were active employees, with net assets of $46,755,613. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 250 to 499 participants band, which held 17,456 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Cato Institute contribute per participant?
The filing reports $1,152,148 in employer contributions for the year, which is $5,593 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,017 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 $102,338 in compensation to service provider organisations, $331 per participant or 0.22% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $141 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $102,338. 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 Cato Institute. Recordkeeping or administration: Empower Annuity Insurance Company. Investment advisory or management: J P Morgan Broker-Dealer Holdings I and Empower Advisory Group, LLC. The financial statements were audited by Aprio, 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 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 24 Aug 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 23-7432162, plan 002, received 24 Aug 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.