Form 5500 databases vs. First Audit Radar
Form 5500 databases show every plan and the auditor it already has. First Audit Radar shows the short list of plans likely to need their first auditor next, flagged by the 80-120 rule before the first audited return is filed. Most firms will use both.
Different questions, different tools
| Form 5500 database or search | First Audit Radar | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | Which plans exist, who audits them, what they report | Which plans are likely to need a first auditor, and when |
| Starting point | All filings; you build the filters | The 80-120 rule and participants with account balances, applied every month |
| Result | A search result or full export | A short list per state or region, ranked A/B/C with the reason, deadline and typical fee range |
| Evidence | - | Published back-test: 81% of last year's flagged plans filed an audited return |
| Follow-up | Export to your CRM | Team tracker with status, owner, notes and reminder e-mails, plus CSV |
| Price | See each provider | From $390 a year per state or region (founding price), 30-day money-back guarantee |
What the main alternatives offer
Quoted from the providers' public websites on Oct 22, 2026. Offers change; check the current page before you decide.
ERISApedia CPA Plan Audit Prospecting
Offers "all benefit plans with 80 or more participants with no audit", a "dynamic mapping tool" and "access to over 80,000 audit reports and Form 5500 filings". Prices are not shown on the page; buying is "Buy Now / Request More Information".
Form 5500 Search
Lets you "filter 2.9M filings by state, industry, assets, recordkeeper, custodian, or auditor", "free forever to search"; Pro is "$49/mo, flat". It highlights "plans that just changed auditor"; the page does not describe a first-audit list.
EFAST2 and the DOL datasets
The Department of Labor's own filing search and the public Form 5500 datasets are free. They are the source of every database, including ours; turning them into a monthly first-audit list is the work we do.
Plans just below the line rarely file an audited return the next year (1.4% at 100-120 participants in our back-test). The difference between "80 or more participants" and the rule we apply is the difference between a long list and a short one. How the rule works.
See the plans in your state today.
Five real plans with sponsor names, the state count and the auditor market. Free, no sign-up, one click.