California › Professional, scientific and technical services › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
The Scripps Research Institute Cash Balance Retirement Plan
Sponsored by The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
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 Scripps Research Institute of La Jolla, California sponsors The Scripps Research Institute Cash Balance Retirement Plan, a cash balance pension plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 shows 1,517 participants (251 active) and $64.9M in net assets.
Net assets came to $42,799 per participant, well below the $87,935 median for defined benefit plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well below 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 $1.7M for the year ($6,661 per active participant) and benefits paid were $3.5M. 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 $561K: $370 per participant, above the same-size median of $325. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $562K. 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 $43.1M in 2009 to $64.9M in 2024 (up 51%), and participants from 2,254 to 1,517 (down 33%).
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 | $42,799 | $87,935 | $176,808 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $6,661 | $10,593 | $35,855 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $370 | $325 | $450 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.86% | 0.41% | 0.30% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $370 | $513 | $596 | $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), 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 | 1,517 | $64.9M | $42,799 | $1.7M | $0 | $561K |
| 2023 | 1,542 | $61.5M | $39,874 | $2.4M | $0 | $563K |
| 2022 | 1,573 | $60.2M | $38,240 | $1.1M | $0 | $613K |
| 2021 | 1,654 | $79.8M | $48,227 | $1.3M | — | $343K |
| 2020 | 1,699 | $76.1M | $44,779 | $1.6M | — | $443K |
| 2019 | 1,750 | $68.1M | $38,894 | $1.8M | — | $387K |
| 2018 | 1,802 | $59.5M | $32,999 | $1.2M | — | $379K |
| 2017 | 1,858 | $64.5M | $34,727 | $2.3M | — | $415K |
| 2016 | 1,953 | $60.6M | $31,049 | $2.6M | — | $353K |
| 2015 | 2,012 | $58.2M | $28,942 | $2.4M | — | $432K |
| 2014 | 2,143 | $62.0M | $28,937 | $2.8M | — | $550K |
| 2013 | 2,351 | $57.6M | $24,504 | $3.5M | — | $453K |
| 2012 | 2,426 | $57.1M | $23,546 | $9.0M | — | $236K |
| 2011 | 2,370 | $47.8M | $20,149 | $2.6M | — | $223K |
| 2010 | 2,323 | $49.9M | $21,476 | $6.6M | — | $298K |
| 2009 | 2,254 | $43.1M | $19,104 | $5.2M | — | $315K |
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$61,485,484
- Employer contributions$1,672,028
- Participant contributions$0
- Rollovers and other contributions$0
- Total contributions$1,672,028
- Total income, including investment results$7,487,390
- Benefits paid$3,484,887
- Administrative expenses$561,979
- Total expenses$4,046,866
- Net income$3,440,524
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$64,926,008
Participants
- Active participants251
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits149
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits1,108
- Total participants, end of year1,517
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willis Towers Watson US LLC | Actuarial; Consulting (pension) | $294,848 | $0 |
| Strategic Investment Management LLC | Investment advisory (plan); Investment management | $179,741 | $0 |
| The Northern Trust Company | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Trustee (directed); Investment management | $49,976 | $0 |
| CBIZ CPAS P.C. | Accounting (including auditing) | $26,830 | $0 |
| Fidelity Institutional Asset Manage | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Investment management | $9,831 | $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$294,848
- Investment advisory and management fees$189,572
- Trustee and custodial fees$49,976
- IQPA audit fees$26,830
- Other administrative expenses$753
- Total administrative expenses$561,979
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$52.1M · 80.3%
- U.S. Government securities$10.4M · 16.0%
- Receivables$1.8M · 2.8%
- Common/collective trusts$623K · 1.0%
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, $3,000,000
- Blackout period during the year—
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
1CCash balance or similar plan1IFrozen plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 541700: Scientific Research & Development Services.
Other plans of The Scripps Research Institute
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| The Scripps Research Institute Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan | 4,041 | $273M |
| The Scripps Research Institute Employee Retirement Plan | 1,879 | $27.7M |
| The Scripps Research Institute Faculty and Management Retirement Plan | 993 | $304M |
Similar plans in California
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLNS Defined Benefit Pension Plan | Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | 3,570 | $3.86B | $1,082,275 |
| Latham & Watkins Cash Balance Plan | Latham & Watkins LLP | 720 | $493M | $685,182 |
| The Aerospace Employees' Retirement Plan (Aerp) | The Aerospace Corporation | 7,438 | $2.14B | $287,832 |
| Paul Hastings LLP Defined Benefit Retirement Plan for Partners | Paul Hastings LLP | 718 | $1.11B | $1,548,720 |
| Pension Plan of General Atomics | General Atomics | 19,371 | $1.02B | $52,704 |
| Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP Partners' Pension Plan | Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP | 484 | $287M | $592,883 |
Defined benefit plans in professional, scientific and technical services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is The Scripps Research Institute Cash Balance Retirement Plan?
1,517 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 251 were active employees, with net assets of $64,926,008. 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 Scripps Research Institute contribute per participant?
The filing reports $1,672,028 in employer contributions for the year, which is $6,661 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 $561,226 in compensation to service provider organisations, $370 per participant or 0.86% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $325 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $561,979. 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 Scripps Research Institute. Investment advisory or management: Strategic Investment Management LLC, The Northern Trust Company and Fidelity Institutional Asset Manage. Trustee or custodian: The Northern Trust Company and Fidelity Institutional Asset Manage. 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 15 Sep 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 33-0435954, plan 001, received 15 Sep 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.