SAS 401(k) Plan Match and Vesting
Officially: SAS RETIREMENT PLAN
SAS offers a 401(k) match: 100% match on first 6% of pay. Eligible employees can contribute up to the IRS annual limit, with the employer match subject to vesting (Participants are 100% vested in their individual deferrals and safe harbor employer contributions; discretionary contributions vest 25% after 2 years of service with 25% incremental increases each year until 100% vested after five years.).
The SAS Retirement Plan is a single-employer 401(k) covering employees of SAS Institute Inc. with 90 days of service and age 21+. The plan had 8,404 participants as of December 31, 2024, with total plan assets of $3.67 billion. Fidelity Investments Institutional serves as the recordkeeper and trustee. The plan uses a safe harbor matching contribution structure and offers automatic enrollment with a 6% default deferral rate.
By Zac Murphy, CFA charterholder and CFP professional. Published June 22, 2026. Verified against Form 5500 plan year 2024.
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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 examples 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 Information is drawn from public Form 5500 filings and plan documents and may be incomplete or out of date.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 SAS Institute.
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 Examples
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 examples 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.
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