Form 5500 Guides

Form 5500 is the annual report employee benefit plans file with the DOL, IRS, and PBGC under ERISA. Learn what it covers, who files, and the 5500 vs 5500-SF vs 5500-EZ variants.

Who must file Form 5500 and who's exempt: ERISA retirement and welfare plans, small-plan exemptions, government and church plans, and the 5500-EZ $250k rule.

Step-by-step Form 5500 instructions: which version to file, how to complete the main form and schedules, EFAST2 filing, common errors, and deadlines.

When is Form 5500 due? Calendar-year plans file by July 31, 2026 — or Oct 15 with a Form 5558 extension. Late penalties, DFVCP, and a free plan lookup.

Schedule C of Form 5500 reports service providers paid $5,000 or more — recordkeepers, custodians, advisors, auditors — plus direct and indirect compensation. Here's how to read it.

Form 5500 codes decoded: every plan characteristic code (2J, 2E, 1I…), welfare benefit code (4A…), Schedule C service provider and compensation code, and DFE entity code — in one clean reference.

Free Form 5500 lookup and search: find any company's retirement or health plan by name, EIN, or plan name to see assets, participants, providers, and filing history — no login.

Find any company's 401(k) recordkeeper, custodian, and advisor for free using public Form 5500 filings. Step-by-step lookup by company name or EIN.

Looking for a FreeERISA alternative? Search ~2.9 million Form 5500 filings free — with deduped plans, provider profiles, fees, and parsed investment holdings.

A 401(k) plan sponsor is the employer that establishes and maintains the plan. What a sponsor does, where it's named on Form 5500, and how to look one up.

The plan sponsor of a 401(k) is almost always your employer — the company named on line 2a of the plan's Form 5500. Three free ways to find yours.

The plan sponsor establishes and maintains a 401(k); the plan administrator runs it day to day. How the two roles differ and where each appears on Form 5500.

A 401(k) plan sponsor's core responsibilities: ERISA fiduciary duties, the annual Form 5500, provider monitoring, fee benchmarking, and timely deposits.

The 401(k) plan administrator is legally responsible for operating the plan — usually the employer itself, named on line 3a of Form 5500. How to find yours.

What a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan is: governmental vs. tax-exempt (top-hat) 457(b)s, 2025 contribution limits, withdrawal rules, and why most don't file Form 5500.

When a 401(k) or other employee benefit plan needs an independent ERISA audit: the 100-participant rule, the 2023 participant-count change, the 80-120 rule, and the small-plan waiver.

An employee benefit plan audit is the independent IQPA audit large ERISA plans attach to Form 5500. Which plans need one, full-scope vs ERISA 103(a)(3)(C) audits, the deadline, and how to find a plan's auditor.

An employee benefits compliance checklist for ERISA plan sponsors: Form 5500, the SAR, SPD, fidelity bond, fee disclosures, required notices, and the deadlines and penalties that go with each.

Lost track of an old 401(k)? Here's how to find it: contact the plan, check databases, and use the company's Form 5500 to find the plan administrator — free.

When you get a Form 1099-R for a 401(k): distributions, rollovers, and RMDs, who issues it and when, what the Box 7 codes mean, and how to find your plan's recordkeeper.

Schedule A of Form 5500 reports a plan's insurance contracts — carriers, premiums, covered persons, and commissions paid to brokers. How to read it.

Comparing Judy Diamond Retirement Plan Prospector? Search the same public Form 5500 data free — plans, providers, fees, holdings, and contacts from $49/mo.

How to use the DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 search at efast.dol.gov — what it shows, its limits, and a faster free way to look up the same public filings.

Form 5500-SF is the short-form annual return for small plans under 100 participants. The five eligibility conditions, schedules, deadlines, and free SF lookup.