State by plan year
Tennessee retirement plan filings, 2021
Plan years beginning in 2021, as filed with the Department of Labor.
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.
For plan years beginning in 2021, 2,608 pension plans based in Tennessee filed the full Form 5500, 1,514 of them with 100 or more participants (1,387 defined contribution, 127 defined benefit).
Those filings reported 3,428,569 participant records and $228.0B in net assets, 2.0% of the national total. Employers contributed $5.31B, participants $7.29B, and $17.4B was paid in benefits.
116 filings were marked as a plan's first return and 99 as its final return. A further 8,263 small plans filed the short Form 5500-SF, with 207,002 participants and $14.4B in net assets.
Against 2020: large plans up 1%, participant records unchanged, net assets up 8%.
Tennessee and the United States, 2021
| Measure | Tennessee | United States | Tennessee share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pension plans on Form 5500 | 2,608 | 144,698 | 1.8% |
| Plans with 100+ participants | 1,514 | 81,313 | 1.9% |
| Participant records | 3,428,569 | 132,867,511 | 2.6% |
| Net assets | $228.0B | $11.60T | 2.0% |
| Employer contributions | $5.31B | $244.6B | 2.2% |
| Participant contributions | $7.29B | $313.2B | 2.3% |
| Benefits paid | $17.4B | $923.2B | 1.9% |
| First returns | 116 | 5,039 | 2.3% |
| Final returns | 99 | 5,486 | 1.8% |
| Small plans on Form 5500-SF | 8,263 | 628,031 | 1.3% |
Median plan, 2021
| Plans with 100+ participants | TN: DC | US: DC | TN: DB | US: DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $33,854 | $43,528 | $78,778 | $85,022 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $1,398 | $1,582 | $8,172 | $9,181 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $94.98 | $105 | $268 | $308 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $85.90 | $93.83 | $435 | $483 |
Change from 2020
| Measure | 2020 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans with 100+ participants | 1,498 | 1,514 | up 1% |
| Participant records | 3,444,380 | 3,428,569 | unchanged |
| Net assets | $211.9B | $228.0B | up 8% |
| Employer contributions | $4.56B | $5.31B | up 16% |
| Median DC assets per participant | $32,729 | $33,854 | up 3% |
All Tennessee plans, providers and the largest plans
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans filed in Tennessee for 2021?
2,608 pension plans on the full Form 5500 (1,514 with 100 or more participants) and 8,263 small plans on Form 5500-SF.
How many new and terminated plans were there?
116 full-form filings were marked as a first return and 99 as a final return. A final return is filed when a plan terminates or merges into another plan.
What was the median plan like?
The median defined contribution plan with 100 or more participants held $33,854 per participant, and the median employer contribution was $1,398 per active participant.
Why is the state the sponsor's state?
Form 5500 records the plan sponsor's address, not where participants live. A national employer's plan is counted once, in the state of its headquarters filing address.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 and Form 5500-SF research files for 2021, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. First and final returns are the filer's own check-boxes on the form. See the methodology.