Free Form 5500 search.
Every retirement and welfare filing in the U.S., ten years deep. Search without an account.
What the free tier includes
Form 5500 long form, Form 5500-SF (short form), Schedule A, Schedule C, Schedule H, Schedule SB, Schedule MB - all of it, joined on a single plan page.
Sponsor name, EIN, plan name, state, ZIP, NAICS industry, plan type, asset bands, participant count, recordkeeper, auditor, broker, carrier - 100+ facets.
Trend lines for participants, assets, premiums, contributions, and provider changes from 2015 to the most recent filing year.
Every plan page links to the original Form 5500 PDF on the DOL's public S3. One click to the source document.
401(k), 403(b), defined benefit, ESOP on one tab; health, dental, life, disability, MEWAs on the other. Same workspace, same login.
The search box, the filter rail, every plan page, and the PDF download are free with no account. Sample CSVs are free too.
Every Form 5500 the DOL has published in the last ten years
We ingest the U.S. Department of Labor's public bulk filings nightly, normalize sponsor and provider names, link every plan to a permanent URL, and expose the whole index through a modern search UI. Free to search, free to read every plan page, free to grab the source PDF.
- 401(k), 403(b), 457
- Defined benefit + cash balance
- ESOPs, KSOPs, profit sharing
- Multi-employer + MEPs
- Health, dental, vision
- Life, AD&D, disability
- MEWAs + association plans
- VEBAs + 501(c)(9) trusts
- 11,000+ recordkeepers
- Brokers + consultants
- Carriers + TPAs
- Auditors + actuaries
- Free 20-row state samples
- Per-state full CSVs
- Retirement + welfare splits
- Refreshed every month
PlanOptica vs FreeERISA
FreeERISA.com is the long-running free 5500 tool from Judy Diamond. A side-by-side for visitors who landed here looking for that product.
| Feature | FreeERISA.com | PlanOptica (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Search 5500 filings | ||
| Free with no signup | Sign-in required | |
| Years of history | 2 years | 10 years |
| Retirement coverage | ||
| Welfare coverage (Sched A / C) | Limited | Full |
| Modern UI | No | |
| Provider directories (recordkeepers, brokers) | No | |
| Plan benchmarks | Deluxe tier | Solo $39/mo |
| CSV exports | Deluxe tier | Free samples + Solo $39/mo |
What advisors use it for
Search by sponsor name or EIN. Get plan size, recordkeeper, fees, audit findings, and ten years of history on a single page.
Search retirement plansFilter Schedule A by carrier (UnitedHealth, Cigna, Aetna, Kaiser) to see every plan a carrier insures. Same for brokers and TPAs.
Search welfare plansFree 20-row sample CSV for every state. Both retirement and welfare files, with sponsor identity, NAICS, participants, assets, and a deep-link to each plan page.
Browse data downloadsProvider pages roll up every plan a recordkeeper, broker, or carrier appears on - book of business, AUM, premium volume, net wins and losses over time.
Browse providersQuestions about free ERISA search
Is this really a free ERISA search?
Yes. PlanOptica indexes every Form 5500 the U.S. Department of Labor releases - retirement, welfare, defined benefit, multi-employer plans - and the search box is free forever with no signup. You can pull up a sponsor's filings, see ten years of history, and download the source PDF, all without an account.
How is this different from FreeERISA.com?
FreeERISA.com is the long-running free tool from Judy Diamond and has been the default for years. PlanOptica indexes 10 years of filings versus 2, covers retirement and welfare on one login, and ships a 2025-era UI. Search is free on both. If you outgrow the free tier, our paid Solo plan is $39/mo versus FreeERISA Deluxe at roughly $400/yr.
What can I search for free, without signing up?
Sponsor name, EIN, plan name, state, ZIP code, NAICS industry, plan type, participant count, asset bands, plan providers (recordkeepers, auditors, brokers, carriers), and a hundred more facets. Click through to any plan's page to see the full 5500 detail, peer benchmarks, and a direct download link to the DOL-filed PDF.
Where does the data come from?
Public Form 5500 filings published by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). We ingest the DOL bulk file nightly, normalize sponsor and provider names, and rebuild a clean searchable warehouse. Every field on a plan page links back to the source filing.
How far back does the data go?
Ten years - currently 2015 through the most recently filed year. Every plan page shows the history as a trend so you can see participant count, assets, premiums, and provider changes over time.
Does this include welfare benefit plans (health, dental, life)?
Yes. Welfare plans file Form 5500 with Schedule A (carrier-by-carrier coverage and premiums) and Schedule C (broker compensation). Our /welfare workspace is the welfare equivalent of /retirement - same free search, same ten-year horizon, same modern UI.
Do you have a paid tier?
Yes, but search is free forever. Solo at $39/mo adds peer benchmarks, savable views, and sourced CSV exports. Team at $100/mo is the same plus five seats and shared views. Everything is monthly, cancel anytime - no annual lock-in.
Can I download a CSV of plans for free?
Yes. /data has a free 20-row sample CSV for every U.S. state, both retirement and welfare. The full state CSV is gated behind a free account; the paid tier adds query-driven exports off the search workspace.