Brightscope on Tuesday released its third annual list of the best 401(k) plans for 2011. These plans have at least $1 billion in assets as reported by plan sponsors and recordkeepers. Brightscope also uses publicly available data from the Department of Labor and the Securities and Exchange Commission in its analysis.
"There is no doubt that access to better evaluation tools and information on retirement plans has had a positive effect on the overall quality of plans available to employees," Mike Alfred, CEO and co-founder of BrightScope, said in a statement. "The average rating of the plans on this year's Top 30 List increased more than 75 basis points over 2010. This tells us that plan sponsors are using data more effectively, conducting better due diligence, and making superior overall decisions."
Keep reading to see the Top 30 401(k) plans of 2011.
| 2011 Rank | 2010 Rank | Plan Name | Headquarters | Brightscope Rating |
| 30 | N/A | The Vanguard Retirement and Savings Plan | Malvern, PA | 85.2 |
| 29 | 28 | Goldman Sachs 401k Plan | New York | 85.25 |
| 28 | 23 | Federal Express Corporation Pilots' Retirement Savings Plan | Memphis, TN | 85.26 |
| 27 | 11 | UBS Savings and Investment Plan | New York | 85.39 |
| 26 | 26 | GlaxoSmithKline Retirement Savings Plan | Philadelphia | 85.79 |
| 2011 Rank | 2010 Rank | Plan Name | Headquarters | Brightscope Rating |
| 25 | 29 | AstraZeneca Savings and Security Plan | Wilmington, DE | 85.92 |
| 24 | 24 | Shell Provident Fund | Houston | 86.23 |
| 23 | 8 | BP Employee Savings Plan | Houston | 86.26 |
| 22 | 12 | IBM 401k Plus Plan | Armonk, NY | 86.28 |
| 21 | 21 | ConocoPhillips Savings Plan | Bartlesville, OK | 86.3 |
| 2011 Rank | 2010 Rank | Plan Name | Headquarters | Brightscope Rating |
| 20 | 19 | Genentech, Inc. Tax Reduction Investment Plan | South San Francisco, CA | 86.36 |
| 19 | N/A | Google Inc. 401k Savings Plan | Mountain View, CA | 86.61 |
| 18 | 15 | Anadarko Employee Savings Plan | The Woodlands, TX | 86.64 |
| 17 | N/A | Ernst & Young Partnership Retirement Plan | Secaucus, NJ | 86.65 |
| 16 | 17 | Bechtel Trust & Thrift Plan | San Francisco | 86.76 |
