Caterpillar 401(k) Plan
Officially: CATERPILLAR 401(K) SAVINGS PLAN
The Caterpillar 401(k) Savings Plan covered 60,357 total participants at the end of the 2024 plan year, including 44,489 active participants, with total plan assets of approximately $18.8 billion reported on Schedule H. The plan is recordkept by Alight Solutions, with The Northern Trust Company serving as trustee, and substantially all plan assets are pooled with other Caterpillar-sponsored retirement plans through the Caterpillar Investment Trust master trust. The plan combines a 401(k) cash-or-deferred arrangement with an employee stock ownership component (KSOP structure) holding Caterpillar Inc. common stock. The investment menu uses a white-label structure with employer-branded core funds, a Target Retirement Fund series, and a participant-directed brokerage window through Alight Financial Solutions and Pershing.
By Zac Murphy, CFA charterholder and CFP professional. Published May 29, 2026. Verified against Form 5500 plan year 2024.
Answer 13 quick questions to find your risk profile and see which of five sample allocations fits.
Fund lineup
Why our allocations use only index funds
The actively managed funds in this plan cost more per year than the plan's index funds, which run roughly 0.02% to 0.06%. Decades of research on long-term active fund performance do not support reliable outperformance net of fees, which is why the allocation ideas below may consider using only the low-cost index options.
Employer match
Estimates assume a constant salary and the match formula shown above. Your actual match depends on your plan's exact terms.
The cost of contributing only --%
On a $60,000 salary, contributing just half the match threshold would leave about -- in employer match unclaimed each year. Invested over 20 years at a hypothetical 7% annual return, that forgone match could have grown to roughly -- (a hypothetical illustration, not a projection). The match is the highest-return contribution you will make all year.
Sources
- Plan metadata (employer, participants, assets, plan year): Form 5500 annual return/report, plan year 2024 -- view filing
- Summary Plan Description (SPD) and fee disclosure (404a-5), where available from the plan administrator.
This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice, nor a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Information is drawn from public Form 5500 filings and plan documents and may be incomplete or out of date. You may consider consulting a qualified professional and confirming all details with your plan administrator before making decisions. Waterfall Planning is not affiliated with Caterpillar Inc.
Find your risk profile
Answer 13 questions to see which allocation fits your situation.
Risk assessment methodology based on Grable, J. E., & Lytton, R. H. (1999). Financial risk tolerance revisited: The development of a risk assessment instrument. Financial Services Review, 8, 163-181.
Allocation ideas
Five sample mixes built from this plan's funds, from conservative to growth. Take the assessment above to see which one fits your risk profile.
Capital preservation with minimal market exposure, built from bonds and stable value.
Mostly bonds with a small stock sleeve for modest growth.
A classic 60/40 split of stocks and bonds.
Stock-heavy with a bond cushion for a long horizon.
All stocks for maximum long-term growth potential, with higher short-term volatility.
These allocation ideas are educational illustrations built from this plan's available funds and a standard risk-tolerance assessment. They are not personalized investment advice or a recommendation, and risk tolerance is only one factor in an investment decision. You may consider consulting a qualified professional before making changes to your account.