William Blair 401(k) match, vesting and fees
What William Blair's 401(k) plan says about matching contributions
Matching contributions will be made by the Company to the Plan for eligible participants who make 401(k) deferrals. If eligible, the amount of the matching contribution is equal to 50% of 401(k) deferrals, up to 6% of eligible earnings. Matching contributions will be made each pay period. If the participant remains employed by the Company as of the last day of the Plan year, they will also receive a year-end “true-up” matching contribution, if necessary, so that the total matching contribution received for the Plan year is equal to 50% of 401(k) deferrals, up to 6% of eligible earnings contributed. The Plan allows for matching contributions for former principals who remain eligible employees.
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 | 2023 audit report, p. 29 ↗ |
| Match vesting | Participants in the Plan are immediately vested in Company contributions, whether match contributions or profit sharing contributions, and their own contributions and earnings, whether from 401(k) contributions, after-tax voluntary contributions, or rollover contributions. | 2023 audit report, p. 30 ↗ |
| Automatic enrollment | An employee or principal may enter the Plan for elective deferral purposes immediately following their date of hire and attainment of age 18. Participants will have their elective deferrals automatically increase 1% annually up to 12%. Participants may opt out of the increase within a 30-day window prior to the increase going into effect. | 2023 audit report, p. 29 ↗ |
| Roth contributions | Employees may make pre-tax and Roth 401(k) contributions as well as voluntary after-tax contributions to the Plan. | 2023 audit report, p. 29 ↗ |
| Loans | Participants may borrow from their Core Investments a minimum of $1,000 up to a maximum equal to the lesser of 50% of their aggregate balance or $50,000. A participant may only have two loans outstanding at any time. The loans are secured by the balance in the participant’s accounts, and bear interest at the prime rate of interest as determined by Schwab. Loan repayments are made through payroll deductions not to exceed 60 months or 120 months if the loan is issued by participant to purchase principal residence. Loans are deemed distributions once they are in default. | 2023 audit report, p. 30 ↗ |
| Recordkeeper | Schwab Retirement Plan Services,inc | 2025 Schedule C ↗ |
| Independent auditor | Grant Thornton LLP (unmodified opinion) | 2025 Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | 401(k) · Active | 2025 Form 5500 ↗ |
| Late participant contributions | Reported on the filing | 2025 Schedule H ↗ |
Match, vesting and other plan features are from the plan year 2023 filing's audit report (the latest one extracted so far). Rows cited to the Form 5500 and its schedules are from the plan year 2025 filing.
How the plan compares
Plan year 2025 medians for 214 defined-contribution plans in finance and insurance with 1,000 to 4,999 participants.
| William Blair: employer contribution per participant | $9,684 | |
| Peer median | $3,266 |
| William Blair: average balance | $501,704 | |
| Peer median | $137,177 |
| William Blair: admin expenses ÷ assets | 0.03% | |
| Peer median | 0.08% |
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 $1.1B at the end of plan year 2021 to $1.4B at the end of plan year 2025.
| Plan year | Participants | Assets | Employer contributions | Per participant | Admin expense ratio | Match formula | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,756 | $1.4B | $26.5M | $9,684 | 0.03% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2024 | 2,669 | $1.2B | $24.1M | $9,063 | 0.02% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2023 | 2,707 | $1.1B | $15.8M | $5,873 | 0.03% | Quoted in the audit report, p. 29 ↗ | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2022 | 2,691 | $886M | $22.2M | $8,304 | 0.03% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2021 | 2,382 | $1.1B | $22.7M | $9,641 | 0.03% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
Common questions
Does William Blair match 401(k) contributions?
The audit report attached to the William Blair 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan's plan year 2023 Form 5500, page 29 says: “Matching contributions will be made by the Company to the Plan for eligible participants who make 401(k) deferrals. If eligible, the amount of the matching contribution is equal to 50% of 401(k) deferrals, up to 6% of eligible earnings. Matching contributions will be made each pay period. If the participant remains employed by the Company as of the last day of the Plan year, they will also receive a year-end “true-up” matching contribution, if necessary, so that the total matching contribution received for the Plan year is equal to 50% of 401(k) deferrals, up to 6% of eligible earnings contributed. The Plan allows for matching contributions for former principals who remain eligible employees.” Plan terms may have changed; check your current Summary Plan Description.
When is the William Blair 401(k) match vested?
The audit report attached to the plan year 2023 Form 5500, page 30 says: “Participants in the Plan are immediately vested in Company contributions, whether match contributions or profit sharing contributions, and their own contributions and earnings, whether from 401(k) contributions, after-tax voluntary contributions, or rollover contributions.”
Who manages the William Blair 401(k)?
The recordkeeper listed on Schedule C of the plan year 2025 filing is Schwab Retirement Plan Services,inc. The plan administrator is William Blair & Company, LLC.
I left William Blair. How do I find my old 401(k)?
Your account stays in the plan until you move it. Contact the plan administrator (William Blair & Company, LLC, (312) 236-1600) or the recordkeeper, Schwab Retirement Plan Services,inc. The William Blair old 401(k) page lists the contacts from every plan filing. Find an old William Blair 401(k)
Data from the public Form 5500 annual reports William Blair filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (plan years 2021 and 2022 and 2023 and 2024 and 2025) 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 William Blair. Not financial advice. Report a correction · Methodology