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BAE Systems, Inc. 401(k): best low-cost funds

BAE Systems Employees' Savings And Investment Plan · Plan #003 · Falls Church, VA

Not financial advice. This page is educational and built from public government filings. Confirm every fund and fee in your plan's official materials before acting.
$10.6Bnet assets (end of plan year)
57,488participants with balances
36,790active participants
2024-12-31plan year end

Suggested simple Boglehead mix

The public data doesn't show enough index funds from this plan to suggest a full mix. A typical Boglehead approach: look in your menu for a US total market or S&P 500 index fund, an international index fund, and a US bond index fund, all with expense ratios under about 0.10%. Or use one low-cost target-date index fund. How the 3-fund portfolio works.

Know this plan's fund menu? Submit it and we'll add a fund-by-fund pick list.

Pooled funds named in the filing (Schedule D)

These are collective trusts and similar pooled funds the plan reported holding. Names that look like index funds are tagged index by keyword, so check them yourself. Mutual funds are not listed by name in the free data.

FundManagerTypePlan's holding
Vanguard Institutional 500 Index PL indexVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$1.6B
Blackrock Russell 1000 Growth Fund indexBlackrock Institutional Trust CO NACommon/collective trust$1.4B
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2025 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$719.3M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2035 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$614.0M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2030 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$569.5M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2045 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$500.4M
Vanguard Extended Market Index indexVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$392.6M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2040 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$334.1M
Galliard Short Core Fund FSEI Institutional Transfer AgentCommon/collective trust$308.1M
Vanguard Total Bond MKT Index Fund indexVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$297.7M
Blackrock Russell 2500 Growth Fund indexBlackrock Institutional Trust CO NACommon/collective trust$290.4M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2050 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$250.0M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2020 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$244.4M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2055 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$212.2M
Vanguard Target RET Income FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$208.8M
Harding Loevner International FundHarding LoevnerCommon/collective trust$143.9M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2060 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$106.1M
Galliard SA Intermed Core Fund QSEI Institutional Transfer AgentCommon/collective trust$85.4M
Galliard SA Intermed Core Fund CSEI Institutional Transfer AgentCommon/collective trust$84.9M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2065 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$47.4M
Short-term Investment Fund ASEI Institutional Transfer AgentCommon/collective trust$31.7M
State Street Real Estate NON LendinState Street Global Advisors TrustCommon/collective trust$6.1M
Vanguard Target Retmnt 2070 FundVanguard Fiduciary Trust COCommon/collective trust$5.2M

How plan assets are invested

Category (Schedule H)AmountShare
Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$570.4M5.4%
Common/collective trusts$8.4B79.4%
Common stock (direct)$531.5M5.0%
Participant loans$80.8M0.8%
Other investments$742.3M7.0%

Fees paid from plan assets

Contract administrator fees$119,417
Investment advisory & management fees$127,500
Other administrative fees$185
Total administrative expenses$1.0M

Reported administrative expenses were about 0.010% of average plan assets, or about $18 per participant with a balance. This usually excludes fund expense ratios netted inside mutual funds and trusts.

Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 & Schedules H/D, filing ID 20250812172937NAL0007411027001. EIN 223537950.

FAQ

What are the best low-cost funds in the BAE Systems, Inc. 401(k)?

The free public data doesn't list enough of the BAE Systems, Inc. plan's index funds to say. Look in your plan's fee disclosure (404a-5 notice) for a US stock index fund, an international index fund and a bond index fund with low expense ratios.

Can I build a three-fund portfolio in the BAE Systems, Inc. 401(k)?

Possibly. Many large plans offer the three building blocks, but the public data for this plan doesn't confirm it. A low-cost target-date index fund is a common one-fund alternative.

How big is the BAE Systems, Inc. 401(k) plan?

The plan reported about $10.6B in net assets and 57,488 participants with balances for plan year 2024, according to its DOL Form 5500 filing.

Where does this data come from?

From public U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 filings (EFAST2) and, where noted, the plan's SEC Form 11-K. Data can be outdated or incomplete, and this page is not financial advice.

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