Novo Nordisk 401(k) Plan

The Novo Nordisk Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan covered 11,320 total participants and held approximately $2.54 billion in net assets at the end of the 2024 plan year. The plan is recordkept by Schwab Retirement Plan Services with Charles Schwab Trust Company serving as trustee and custodian, and Fiducient Advisors serving as investment advisor. The plan covers employees of Novo Nordisk Inc. and several affiliated U.S. entities including Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, NNE Pharmaplan, and Novo Nordisk US Bio Productions. The investment menu features a Schwab Managed Retirement target-date series, a mix of index and actively managed funds, and Novo Nordisk A/S ADRs as employer securities.

Participants: 10,335 Plan assets: $2,538,744,944 Plan number: 001 Form 5500 plan year: 2024 Last verified: Jun 9, 2026 View Form 5500
Match
50% match on the first 2% of eligible pay
Vesting
Company basic and matching contributions vest on a graded schedule reaching 100% after three years of service.
Investment Options
29 funds
Auto-Enrollment
Eligible employees are automatically enrolled at a 4% pre-tax deferral rate with annual 1% auto-escalation each April 1 up to 10% of compensation.
Plan Size
$2,538,744,944

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 Novo Nordisk 401(k) options

Not sure if you're getting the most out of your plan? Tell us a bit about your situation and we'll help you understand your options.

Waterfall Planning provides financial planning education. Information submitted will not result in personalized investment recommendations. Submissions are subject to our Privacy Policy.

Fund lineup

Fund Asset Class Type
Allspring Special Intl SM CP I International Equity Active
Columbia Dividend Income Inst US Large Cap Active
Delaware Small Cap Value I US Small Cap Active
Europacific Growth Fund R5E International Equity Active
Franklin US Govt Sec Adv US Bonds Active
Vanguard Midcap Index Inst US Mid Cap Index
Vanguard Sm Cap Index Inst US Small Cap Index
Vanguard Total Bd Mkt Idx Inst US Bonds Index
Vanguard Total Intl Stk Inst International Equity Index
Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund US Large Cap Index
Schwab Ret Gvmnt Money Fund Money Market Active
Schwab US Treasury Money Fund Money Market Active
Allspring Core Bond II CIT E US Bonds Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2010 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2015 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2020 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2025 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2030 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2035 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2040 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2045 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2050 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2055 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2060 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret 2065 CL VI Target-date Active
Schwab Managed Ret Income VI Target-date Active
Stephens Small Cap Growth CIT US Small Cap Active
TRP Blue Chip Growth Trust T4 US Large Cap Active
Novo Nordisk A/S Company Stock 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 2% of eligible pay
Match cap 50% of pay
Effective match rate 2%
Vesting Company basic and matching contributions vest on a graded schedule reaching 100% after three years of service.
Waiting period Eligible employees are covered by the Plan upon date of hire.
$
Contribute this much to capture the full match
50% of your eligible pay, every paycheck.

50% match on the first 2% of eligible pay Contributing less than 50% of your eligible pay leaves part of Novo Nordisk'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 Novo Nordisk.

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
Vanguard Total Bd Mkt Idx Inst 70%
Schwab Ret Gvmnt Money 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
Vanguard Total Bd Mkt Idx Inst 49%
Schwab Ret Gvmnt Money Fund 21%
Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund 19%
Vanguard Total Intl Stk Inst 8%
Vanguard Midcap Index Inst 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
Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund 39%
Vanguard Total Bd Mkt Idx Inst 28%
Vanguard Total Intl Stk Inst 15%
Schwab Ret Gvmnt Money Fund 12%
Vanguard Midcap Index Inst 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
Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund 52%
Vanguard Total Intl Stk Inst 20%
Vanguard Total Bd Mkt Idx Inst 14%
Vanguard Midcap Index Inst 8%
Schwab Ret Gvmnt Money 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
Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund 65%
Vanguard Total Intl Stk Inst 25%
Vanguard Midcap Index Inst 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.