New Jersey › Professional, scientific and technical services › 25,000 or more participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Ernst & Young Defined Benefit Retirement Plan
Sponsored by Ernst & Young U.S. LLP, Secaucus, NJ
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.
Ernst & Young Defined Benefit Retirement Plan is a cash balance pension plan sponsored by Ernst & Young U.S. LLP of Secaucus, New Jersey. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 46,245 participants, 44,043 of them active, and net assets of $2.40B.
Net assets came to $51,942 per participant, well below the $88,040 median for defined benefit plans with 25,000 or more 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 $189M for the year ($4,291 per active participant) and benefits paid were $101M. 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 3 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $231K: $4.99 per participant, well below the same-size median of $143. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $118K. 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 $3.92B in 2010 to $2.40B in 2024 (down 39%), and participants from 48,947 to 46,245 (down 6%).
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 | $51,942 | $88,040 | $176,808 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $4,291 | $6,524 | $35,855 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $4.99 | $143 | $450 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.01% | 0.26% | 0.30% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $2.55 | $306 | $596 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 25,000 or more participants (215 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 | 46,245 | $2.40B | $51,942 | $189M | — | $231K |
| 2023 | 45,708 | $2.31B | $50,614 | $95.3M | — | $107K |
| 2022 | 42,084 | $2.14B | $50,888 | $308M | — | $0 |
| 2021 | 39,933 | $2.56B | $64,232 | $350M | — | $68K |
| 2020 | 40,276 | $2.41B | $59,931 | $224M | — | $343K |
| 2019 | 37,794 | $2.08B | $55,085 | $60.0M | — | $504K |
| 2018 | 35,487 | $1.88B | $52,948 | $168M | — | $849K |
| 2017 | 33,715 | $2.16B | $64,047 | $0 | — | $1.3M |
| 2016 | 57,882 | $3.75B | $64,857 | $100M | — | $1.3M |
| 2015 | 62,067 | $3.88B | $62,513 | $124M | — | $910K |
| 2014 | 57,692 | $3.97B | $68,786 | — | — | $2,000 |
| 2013 | 59,213 | $5.64B | $95,218 | $150M | — | $19K |
| 2012 | 55,419 | $5.04B | $91,028 | $191M | — | $780K |
| 2010 | 48,947 | $3.92B | $80,017 | $150M | — | $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$2,313,448,491
- Employer contributions$189,000,000
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$189,000,000
- Total income, including investment results$328,618,057
- Benefits paid$101,492,966
- Administrative expenses$117,732
- Total expenses$101,610,698
- Net income$227,007,359
- Net transfers−$138,419,683
- Net assets, end of year$2,402,036,167
Participants
- Active participants44,043
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits0
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits2,200
- Total participants, end of year46,245
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $0 | $113,155 |
| Mondrian Investment Group(us) Inc. | Direct payment from the plan; Investment management fees paid directly by plan | $74,008 | $0 |
| Albourne America LLC | Consulting (pension) | $43,731 | $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$117,732
- Total administrative expenses$117,732
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)$808M · 33.6%
- Common/collective trusts$683M · 28.4%
- U.S. Government securities$394M · 16.4%
- 103-12 investment entities$210M · 8.7%
- Receivables$205M · 8.5%
- Partnership/joint venture interests$105M · 4.4%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$305K · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmBDO USA, P.C.
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $10,000,000
- 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
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1CCash balance or similar plan1DFloor-offset plan3JU.S.-based plan that covers residents of Puerto Rico and is qualified under both codes
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 541211: Offices of Certified Public Accountants.
Other plans of Ernst & Young U.S. LLP
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Ernst & Young Retirement Savings Plan | 97,058 | $18.3B |
| Ernst & Young Inactive Defined Benefit Retirement Plan | 38,877 | $2.16B |
| Ernst & Young Partnership Retirement (HR-10) Plan | 3,902 | $2.54B |
| Ernst & Young Partnership Defined Benefit Retirement Plan | 3,767 | $3.02B |
Similar plans in New Jersey
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KPMG Pension Plan | KPMG LLP | 71,845 | $3.07B | $42,710 |
| Ernst & Young Inactive Defined Benefit Retirement Plan | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 38,877 | $2.16B | $55,514 |
| Ernst & Young Partnership Defined Benefit Retirement Plan | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 3,767 | $3.02B | $801,267 |
| KPMG Partner Pension Plan | KPMG LLP | 3,267 | $1.86B | $570,427 |
| SGS North America Inc. Pension Plan | SGS North America Inc. | 2,357 | $140M | $59,605 |
| Avis Rent a Car System, LLC Pension Plan | Avis Budget Group, Inc. | 1,461 | $87.5M | $59,902 |
Defined benefit plans in professional, scientific and technical services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Ernst & Young Defined Benefit Retirement Plan?
46,245 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 44,043 were active employees, with net assets of $2,402,036,167. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 25,000 or more participants band, which held 215 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Ernst & Young U.S. LLP contribute per participant?
The filing reports $189,000,000 in employer contributions for the year, which is $4,291 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $6,524 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 $230,894 in compensation to service provider organisations, $4.99 per participant or 0.01% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $143 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $117,732. 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 Ernst & Young U.S. LLP. Trustee or custodian: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.. The financial statements were audited by BDO USA, 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. 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 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 34-6565596, plan 111, received 15 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.