Centene 401(k) Plan

The Centene Management Corporation Retirement Plan is a defined contribution 401(k) plan covering 67,132 participants with approximately $4.72 billion in plan assets at year-end 2024. Fidelity Investments Institutional serves as recordkeeper, with Strategic Advisors and CAPFinancial Partners providing advisory services. The investment menu is built primarily around Fidelity Freedom Blend target date collective trusts and Geode-managed S&P index CITs, supplemented by actively managed mutual funds across asset classes. The plan features automatic enrollment at 6 percent with annual 1 percent escalation up to 10 percent, Roth contributions, and immediate eligibility at age 21.

Participants: 66,984 Plan assets: $4,716,699,086 Plan number: 001 Form 5500 plan year: 2024 Last verified: Jun 9, 2026 View Form 5500
Match
50% match on the first 6% of eligible pay
Vesting
Employer contributions vest on a 5-year graded schedule: 10% after 1 year, 30% after 2, 60% after 3, 80% after 4, and 100% after 5 years. Participant contributions are immediately vested.
Investment Options
26 funds
Auto-Enrollment
Participants are automatically enrolled at 6% of compensation with an Annual Increase Program escalating deferrals by 1% per year up to a maximum of 10%; default investment is the age-appropriate Fidelity Freedom Blend target date fund.
Plan Size
$4,716,699,086

By Zac Murphy, CFA charterholder and CFP professional. Published June 9, 2026. Verified against Form 5500 plan year 2024.

Get a personalized look at your Centene 401(k) options

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Fund lineup

Fund Asset Class Type
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2035 T Target-date Other
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2040 T Target-date Other
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2045 T Target-date Other
SP 500 Index CL E US Large Cap Index
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2030 T Target-date Other
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2050 T Target-date Other
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2055 T Target-date Other
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2025 T Target-date Other
SP Large Cap Growth Index CL E US Large Cap Index
T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth T2 US Large Cap Active
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2060 T Target-date Other
Fidelity Total Bond US Bonds Index
Putnam Stable Value Fund Stable Value Other
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2020 T Target-date Other
Fidelity International Discovery Pool International Equity Active
SP Mid Cap Index CL E US Mid Cap Index
Fidelity Investments Money Market Government Portfolio - Institutional Class Money Market Active
MFS Mid Cap Value CT US Mid Cap Active
SP Small Cap Index CL E US Small Cap Index
Vanguard Healthcare Administration Other Active
Janus Henderson Enterprise N US Mid Cap Active
SP LC Value Index E US Large Cap Index
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2015 T Target-date Other
Vanguard Inflation Protected Securities Fund Institutional TIPS Active
Fidelity Freedom Blend Income T Target-date Other
Fidelity Freedom Blend 2010 T Target-date Other

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

Match summary
50% match on the first 6% of eligible pay
Match cap 50% of pay
Effective match rate 6%
Vesting Employer contributions vest on a 5-year graded schedule: 10% after 1 year, 30% after 2, 60% after 3, 80% after 4, and 100% after 5 years. Participant contributions are immediately vested.
Waiting period Eligible employees age 21 or older may immediately start participation.
$
Contribute this much to capture the full match
50% of your eligible pay, every paycheck.

50% match on the first 6% of eligible pay Contributing less than 50% of your eligible pay leaves part of Centene's match unclaimed.

What the match is worth at your pay After 1 year of service, contributing 50%
Annual pay Your contribution Employer match Total to 401(k)

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 Centene.

Find your risk profile

Answer 13 questions to see which allocation fits your situation.

Question 1 of 13

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.

Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Conservative
Conservative

Capital preservation with minimal market exposure, built from bonds and stable value.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
Fidelity Total Bond 70%
Putnam Stable Value Fund 30%
0% stocks / 100% bonds
Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Income & A Little Growth
Income & A Little Growth

Mostly bonds with a small stock sleeve for modest growth.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
Fidelity Total Bond 49%
Putnam Stable Value Fund 21%
SP 500 Index CL E 19%
Fidelity International Discovery Pool 8%
SP Mid Cap Index CL E 3%
30% stocks / 70% bonds
Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Balanced
Balanced

A classic 60/40 split of stocks and bonds.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
SP 500 Index CL E 39%
Fidelity Total Bond 28%
Fidelity International Discovery Pool 15%
Putnam Stable Value Fund 12%
SP Mid Cap Index CL E 6%
60% stocks / 40% bonds
Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Growth & Income
Growth & Income

Stock-heavy with a bond cushion for a long horizon.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
SP 500 Index CL E 52%
Fidelity International Discovery Pool 20%
Fidelity Total Bond 14%
SP Mid Cap Index CL E 8%
Putnam Stable Value Fund 6%
80% stocks / 20% bonds
Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Growth
Growth

All stocks for maximum long-term growth potential, with higher short-term volatility.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
SP 500 Index CL E 65%
Fidelity International Discovery Pool 25%
SP Mid Cap Index CL E 10%
100% stocks / 0% bonds
Stay on track

Get a plain-English breakdown of your plan

Occasional, no-jargon guidance on getting the most from your workplace retirement plan.

  • What your match is really worth
  • How to keep costs low with index funds
  • Plan updates when your filing changes

We send only what's useful. No advisor pitches, no data sales.

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.