Syneos Health 401(k) Plan

The Syneos Health Savings and Retirement Plan is a defined contribution 401(k) plan covering employees of Syneos Health, LLC, a biopharmaceutical contract research organization headquartered in Morrisville, NC. As of the 2024 plan year-end, the Plan had 17,182 total participants (9,827 active) and approximately $1.57 billion in net assets. The Plan is recordkept by Fidelity Investments Institutional with Fidelity Management Trust Company serving as trustee, and CAPTRUST Financial Advisors providing investment consulting services. The investment menu is built primarily around the T. Rowe Price Retirement Trust target-date series alongside Northern Trust index funds, with a Fidelity BrokerageLink self-directed brokerage window also available.

Participants: 19,192 Plan assets: $1,574,912,853 Plan number: 001 Form 5500 plan year: 2024 Last verified: May 27, 2026 View Form 5500
Employer match
50% match on the first 9% of eligible compensation contributed (maximum 4.5% of pay)
Investment options
34
funds in the lineup
Auto-enrollment
The Plan includes an automatic contribution arrangement (Form 5500 feature code 2S indicates an eligible automatic contribution arrangement); specific default deferral rate, auto-escalation schedule, and default investment fund details are

By Zac Murphy, CFA charterholder and CFP professional. Published May 27, 2026. Verified against Form 5500 plan year 2024.

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Fund lineup

Fund Asset Class Type
Principal Real Estate Securities R6 Fund Real Estate Active
BlackRock High-Yield Bond K Fund US Bonds Active
MFS International Value Fund R6 International Equity Active
Driehaus Emerging Growth IS Emerging Markets Active
BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Fund K US Bonds Active
BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio Fund K US Mid Cap Active
Fidelity Small Cap Growth K6 US Small Cap Active
American Beacon Small-Cap Value R6 Fund US Small Cap Active
Fidelity Government Money Market Fund Money Market Other
Fidelity Contra Pool CL A US Large Cap Active
Northern Trust ACWI ex-US Market Index Fund (NL) International Equity Index
MFS Mid Cap Value CT US Mid Cap Active
Northern Trust Aggregate Bond Index Fund US Bonds Index
Northern Trust Extended Equity Market Index Fund (NL) US Small Cap Index
Northern Trust S&P 500 Index Fund (NL) US Large Cap Index
Prudential Core Plus Bond Fund US Bonds Active
Harbor Capital Appreciation R US Large Cap Active
Great Gray Europac Growth CT International Equity Active
John Hancock Funds Disciplined Value Trust P1 US Large Cap Active
T. Rowe Price Stable Value Common Trust Fund A Stable Value Other
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2005 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2010 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2015 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2020 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2025 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2030 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2035 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2040 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2045 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2050 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2055 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2060 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
T. Rowe Price Retirement 2065 Trust Fund K Target-date Index
Fidelity BrokerageLink Self-Directed Brokerage Account Other 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 9% of eligible compensation contributed (maximum 4.5% of pay)
Match cap 4.50% of pay
Effective match rate 0.50%
Vesting 100% immediate vesting on employee contributions; employer contributions vest on a graded schedule: 25% after 2 years, 50% after 3 years, and 100% after 4 years of service.
Waiting period Eligibility begins at age 18 for substantially all employees; the plan document does not disclose a service-based waitin
$
Contribute this much to capture the full match
4.50% of your eligible pay, every paycheck.

50% match on the first 9% of eligible compensation contributed (maximum 4.5% of pay) Contributing less than 4.50% of your eligible pay leaves part of Syneos Health, Inc.'s match unclaimed.

What the match is worth at your pay After 1 year of service, contributing 4.50%
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 Syneos Health, Inc..

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
Northern Trust Aggregate Bond Index Fund 70%
Fidelity Government Money Market 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
Northern Trust Aggregate Bond Index Fund 49%
Fidelity Government Money Market Fund 21%
Northern Trust S&P 500 Index Fund (NL) 19%
Northern Trust ACWI ex-US Market Index Fund (NL) 8%
Northern Trust Extended Equity Market Index Fund (NL) 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
Northern Trust S&P 500 Index Fund (NL) 39%
Northern Trust Aggregate Bond Index Fund 28%
Northern Trust ACWI ex-US Market Index Fund (NL) 15%
Fidelity Government Money Market Fund 12%
Northern Trust Extended Equity Market Index Fund (NL) 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
Northern Trust S&P 500 Index Fund (NL) 52%
Northern Trust ACWI ex-US Market Index Fund (NL) 20%
Northern Trust Aggregate Bond Index Fund 14%
Northern Trust Extended Equity Market Index Fund (NL) 8%
Fidelity Government Money Market 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
Northern Trust S&P 500 Index Fund (NL) 65%
Northern Trust ACWI ex-US Market Index Fund (NL) 25%
Northern Trust Extended Equity Market Index Fund (NL) 10%
100% stocks / 0% bonds
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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.