Illinois › Finance and insurance › 25,000 or more participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Discover Financial Services 401(k) Plan
Sponsored by Discover Financial Services, Riverwoods, IL
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.
Discover Financial Services of Riverwoods, Illinois sponsors Discover Financial Services 401(k) Plan, a 401(k) plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 shows 27,261 participants (20,237 active) and $3.21B in net assets.
Net assets came to $117,721 per participant, well above the $62,774 median for defined contribution plans with 25,000 or more participants and well above the $92,294 median for defined contribution 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.
The employer contributed $131M during the year, or $6,477 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,417; participants contributed $145M and $25.2M arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $222M.
Schedule C lists 9 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $2.4M: $87.32 per participant, well above the same-size median of $36.41. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $2.4M. 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 $394M in 2009 to $3.21B in 2024 (up 715%), and participants from 12,811 to 27,261 (up 113%).
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 | $117,721 | $62,774 | $92,294 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $6,477 | $2,417 | $3,564 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $87.32 | $36.41 | $137 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.07% | 0.07% | 0.17% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $86.40 | $38.81 | $130 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 25,000 or more participants (608 plans), finance and insurance (4,391) 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 | 27,261 | $3.21B | $117,721 | $131M | $145M | $2.4M |
| 2023 | 27,673 | $2.75B | $99,388 | $125M | $131M | $2.8M |
| 2022 | 27,209 | $2.23B | $81,893 | $107M | $110M | $2.7M |
| 2021 | 23,041 | $2.55B | $110,570 | $95.6M | $104M | $2.4M |
| 2020 | 23,046 | $2.23B | $96,923 | $98.3M | $102M | $1.9M |
| 2019 | 23,235 | $1.88B | $81,114 | $86.6M | $88.6M | $1.2M |
| 2018 | 31,647 | $1.50B | $47,292 | $70.7M | $80.8M | $1.3M |
| 2017 | 31,294 | $1.53B | $48,982 | $63.9M | $71.2M | $1.1M |
| 2016 | 29,429 | $1.25B | $42,341 | $57.4M | $63.7M | $823K |
| 2015 | 27,997 | $1.10B | $39,412 | $55.8M | $61.8M | $630K |
| 2014 | 25,104 | $1.09B | $43,584 | $51.4M | $55.7M | $488K |
| 2013 | 22,483 | $961M | $42,748 | $47.7M | $51.3M | $363K |
| 2012 | 19,767 | $710M | $35,941 | $43.8M | $44.0M | $190K |
| 2011 | 17,015 | $544M | $31,959 | $37.9M | $37.2M | $63K |
| 2010 | 13,943 | $489M | $35,088 | $31.5M | $30.4M | $24K |
| 2009 | 12,811 | $394M | $30,726 | $35.2M | $31.7M | $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$2,750,370,855
- Employer contributions$131,076,331
- Participant contributions$144,949,152
- Rollovers and other contributions$25,181,732
- Total contributions$301,207,215
- Total income, including investment results$682,742,678
- Benefits paid$221,590,832
- Administrative expenses$2,355,465
- Total expenses$223,924,169
- Net income$458,818,509
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$3,209,189,364
Participants
- Active participants20,237
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits0
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits6,871
- Participants with account balances26,671
- Total participants, end of year27,261
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Street Global Advisors | Custodial (other than securities); Custodial (securities) | $2,184,428 | $0 |
| JP Morgan Funds Services | Investment advisory (plan); Investment management | $115,550 | $0 |
| Loomis, Sayles & Company | Investment management | $45,779 | $0 |
| Alight Solutions LLC | Recordkeeping and information management | $0 | $25,000 |
| Invesco Stable Val | Investment advisory (participants) | $7,618 | $0 |
| Dimensional Funds Advisors LP | Investment advisory (plan); Investment management | $1,124 | $0 |
| Dodge and Cox | Investment management | $637 | $0 |
| Pimco | Investment advisory (plan) | $295 | $0 |
| SEI Trust Company - Rothschlid | Investment management | $0 | $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$2,355,465
- Total administrative expenses$2,355,465
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.
- Common/collective trusts$2.99B · 93.0%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$123M · 3.8%
- Receivables$61.6M · 1.9%
- Participant loans$41.9M · 1.3%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmCrowe LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $50,000,000
- 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
2EProfit-sharing plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2KCode section 401(m) arrangement2S401(k) plan or 403(b) plan that provides for automatic enrollment2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3FPlan sponsor(s) received services of leased employees3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group3JU.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 522210: Credit Card Issuing.
Other plans of Discover Financial Services
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Discover Financial Services Pension Plan | 11,889 | $482M |
Similar plans in Illinois
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMO 401(k) Savings Plan | BMO Financial Corp. | 29,464 | $4.97B | $168,689 |
| Hub International Limited 401(k) Savings Plan | Hub International Limited | 15,742 | $1.58B | $100,055 |
| Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Employees Savings and Thrift Plan | Arthur J. Gallagher (Illinios), LLC. | 29,898 | $3.90B | $130,377 |
| Zurich Savings Plan | Zurich American Insurance Company | 14,802 | $3.69B | $249,023 |
| Aon Pooled Employer Plan | Aon Consulting, Inc. | 87,813 | $3.14B | $35,743 |
| The Northern Trust Company Thrift-Incentive Plan | The Northern Trust Company | 14,565 | $3.76B | $258,225 |
Defined contribution plans in finance and insurance closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Discover Financial Services 401(k) Plan?
27,261 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 20,237 were active employees, with net assets of $3,209,189,364. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 25,000 or more participants band, which held 608 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Discover Financial Services contribute per participant?
The filing reports $131,076,331 in employer contributions for the year, which is $6,477 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,417 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 $2,380,431 in compensation to service provider organisations, $87.32 per participant or 0.07% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $36.41 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $2,355,465. 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 Discover Financial Services. Recordkeeping or administration: Alight Solutions LLC. Investment advisory or management: JP Morgan Funds Services, Loomis, Sayles & Company and Invesco Stable Val. Trustee or custodian: State Street Global Advisors. The financial statements were audited by Crowe 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 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 6 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 36-2517428, plan 003, received 6 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.