Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings 401(k) match, vesting and fees
What Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings' 401(k) plan says about matching contributions
Company Match: For employees (except Senior Advisors and Advisory Directors (or equivalent titles) each as defined in the Plan) with eligible pay of $275,001 or less and who are not eligible to receive a Fixed Contribution (as described below), the Plan-provided Company Match for the year ended December 31, 2024 (“2024 Company Match”) was one dollar for each dollar of before-tax and/or Roth after-tax contributions that eligible participants contributed to the Plan, up to a maximum of 5% of eligible pay. For these employees, the maximum 2024 Company Match was $13,750. For employees with eligible pay of $100,001 or less who are eligible to receive a Fixed Contribution or employees with eligible pay over $275,001, the Plan-provided 2024 Company Match was one dollar for each dollar of before-tax or Roth after-tax contributions that eligible participants contributed to the Plan, up to a maximum of 4% of eligible pay, up to the Code limit of $330,000. For these employees, the maximum 2024 Company Match was $13,200. The Company Match is made at the discretion of the Plan Sponsor. The 2024 Company Match contributions were invested according to each participant’s investment elections on file or in a default fund or funds, as selected by the Plan Administrator. The 2024 Company Match was $392,290,569 of which $9,010,409 was covered by forfeitures held by the Plan. The 2023 Company Match was $385,427,965 of which $6,708,369 was covered by forfeitures held by the Plan.
Quoted directly from the filing. Plan terms may have changed; check your current Summary Plan Description.
Plan features
Indented passages are quoted word for word from the audit report; plan terms may have changed since, so check your current Summary Plan Description.
| Employer match | Quoted from the filing above | Audit report, p. 36 ↗ |
| Match vesting | Vesting — Participants are vested immediately in their Employee Contributions plus earnings thereon. Generally, participants are vested in any Company Contributions upon the earlier of: (i) completion of three years of service, or (ii) termination of employment due to death, Retirement, Release or Total and Permanent Disability, each as defined by the Plan. There is no partial vesting. A participant is always fully vested in dividends paid with respect to the Morgan Stanley Stock Fund. | Audit report, p. 37 ↗ |
| Roth contributions | Employee Contributions — Eligible participants may elect to contribute before-tax and/or Roth after-tax contributions of 1% to 50% of eligible pay subject to Code limits ($23,000 for 2024). Those participants who have attained at least age 50 by the end of 2024 may elect an additional before-tax or Roth after-tax “Catch-Up Contribution” of 1% to 50% of eligible pay, subject to Code limits ($7,500 for 2024). | Audit report, p. 35 ↗ |
| Loans | Notes Receivable from Participants — Generally, a participant may borrow a total of up to the lesser of $50,000 or 50% of his/her vested Plan account. A participant may have a maximum of two outstanding loans at a time. | Audit report, p. 37 ↗ |
| Recordkeeper | Alight Solutions LLC | Schedule C ↗ |
| Independent auditor | Deloitte & Touche LLP (unmodified opinion) | Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | 401(k) · Active | Form 5500 ↗ |
All rows are from the plan year 2024 filing; plan features from its audit report.
How the plan compares
Plan year 2024 medians for 19 defined-contribution plans in finance and insurance with 50,000 or more participants.
| Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings: employer contribution per participant | $5,142 | |
| Peer median | $3,368 |
| Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings: average balance | $284,700 | |
| Peer median | $160,346 |
| Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings: admin expenses ÷ assets | 0.08% | |
| Peer median | 0.05% |
Admin expenses are the plan's reported administrative expenses divided by its assets; they do not include fund expense ratios.
Plan history
Plan assets went from $19B at the end of plan year 2023 to $22B at the end of plan year 2024.
| Plan year | Participants | Assets | Employer contributions | Per participant | Admin expense ratio | Match formula | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 80,789 | $22B | $398M | $5,142 | 0.08% | Quoted in the audit report, p. 36 ↗ | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2023 | 81,076 | $19B | $395M | $5,095 | 0.09% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
Other Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings plans (1)
Each plan files its own Form 5500. Figures are from each plan's latest filing.
Morgan Stanley Employees Retirement Plan
Plan features
Match, vesting and enrollment details have not been published from this plan's audit report yet. The figures below come from the structured filing.
| Recordkeeper | Alight Solutions LLC | Schedule C ↗ |
| Independent auditor | Deloitte & Touche LLP (unmodified opinion) | Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | Pension (defined benefit) · Frozen | Form 5500 ↗ |
Common questions
Does Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings match 401(k) contributions?
The audit report attached to the Morgan Stanley 401(k) Plan's plan year 2024 Form 5500, page 36 says: “Company Match: For employees (except Senior Advisors and Advisory Directors (or equivalent titles) each as defined in the Plan) with eligible pay of $275,001 or less and who are not eligible to receive a Fixed Contribution (as described below), the Plan-provided Company Match for the year ended December 31, 2024 (“2024 Company Match”) was one dollar for each dollar of before-tax and/or Roth after-tax contributions that eligible participants contributed to the Plan, up to a maximum of 5% of eligible pay. For these employees, the maximum 2024 Company Match was $13,750. For employees with eligible pay of $100,001 or less who are eligible to receive a Fixed Contribution or employees with eligible pay over $275,001, the Plan-provided 2024 Company Match was one dollar for each dollar of before-tax or Roth after-tax contributions that eligible participants contributed to the Plan, up to a maximum of 4% of eligible pay, up to the Code limit of $330,000. For these employees, the maximum 2024 Company Match was $13,200. The Company Match is made at the discretion of the Plan Sponsor. The 2024 Company Match contributions were invested according to each participant’s investment elections on file or in a default fund or funds, as selected by the Plan Administrator. The 2024 Company Match was $392,290,569 of which $9,010,409 was covered by forfeitures held by the Plan. The 2023 Company Match was $385,427,965 of which $6,708,369 was covered by forfeitures held by the Plan.” Plan terms may have changed; check your current Summary Plan Description.
When is the Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings 401(k) match vested?
The audit report attached to the plan year 2024 Form 5500, page 37 says: “Vesting — Participants are vested immediately in their Employee Contributions plus earnings thereon. Generally, participants are vested in any Company Contributions upon the earlier of: (i) completion of three years of service, or (ii) termination of employment due to death, Retirement, Release or Total and Permanent Disability, each as defined by the Plan. There is no partial vesting. A participant is always fully vested in dividends paid with respect to the Morgan Stanley Stock Fund.”
Who manages the Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings 401(k)?
The recordkeeper listed on Schedule C of the plan year 2024 filing is Alight Solutions LLC. The plan administrator is Morgan Stanley 401(k) Plan.
I left Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings. How do I find my old 401(k)?
Your account stays in the plan until you move it. Contact the plan administrator (Morgan Stanley 401(k) Plan, (212) 762-2792) or the recordkeeper, Alight Solutions LLC. The Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings old 401(k) page lists the contacts from every plan filing. Find an old Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings 401(k)
Data from the public Form 5500 annual reports Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (plan years 2023 and 2024) and, where noted, the attached independent auditor's report. Plan terms may have changed since the filing; check your current Summary Plan Description. PlanFacts is not affiliated with Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings. Not financial advice. Report a correction · Methodology