Our data · data sources
Every field on the list, where it comes from and when it is updated
First Audit Radar uses only public data: the Form 5500 datasets the U.S. Department of Labor publishes through EFAST2, plus public reference tables. No personal data, no purchased lists. Current data through Sep 24, 2026.
Sources
Four public sources
| Source | What we use | Update |
|---|---|---|
| Form 5500-SF dataset (short form) | Sponsor, EIN, plan number, plan name and type, business address and phone, business code, participants with account balances at the start and end of the year, net assets, date received | DOL publishes new filings continuously; we load them monthly |
| Form 5500 dataset + Schedule H (large plans) | Whether a plan already filed an audited return, the audit firm (name and EIN) and the reported audit fee (line 2i(4), since plan year 2023) | Monthly |
| Plan administrator fields (Form 5500-SF) | Plan administrator or recordkeeper where the filing names one other than the sponsor | Monthly |
| U.S. Census ZIP code centroids (2024) | Approximate map position and distance to your office ZIP; no street geocoding | Yearly |
Dataset documentation: DOL Form 5500 datasets · rule: 29 CFR 2520.103-1.
Data dictionary
The fields on the list
One row per plan likely heading for its first audit. Columns of the CSV export in brackets.
| Field | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Priority A/B/C (priority, priority_reason) | Our ranking: growth, plan assets and how recently the filing arrived, with the reason in words | Derived |
| Sponsor, EIN, plan number (sponsor, ein, plan_number) | The employer that sponsors the plan and the plan's identifiers | Form 5500-SF |
| Plan name and type (plan_name, plan_type) | 401(k), other defined contribution or defined benefit, from the benefit codes | Form 5500-SF |
| Company phone, business address (phone, address) | The sponsor's phone and address as filed; company level, never a person | Form 5500-SF |
| Industry (industry) | NAICS sector from the business code | Form 5500-SF |
| Participants, start → end of year (participants_with_balance_boy/eoy) | Participants with account balances; 121 or more at year-end puts the plan above the audit line for the next year | Form 5500-SF |
| Net assets (net_assets_eoy) | Plan assets at year-end | Form 5500-SF |
| Audit history (audit_history, prior_auditor) | "first audit" or "returning to audit" when an earlier audited return exists, with that auditor | Form 5500 + Schedule H |
| Audited 5500 due (audited_5500_due, due_with_extension) | Deadline of the first audited return: 7th month after year-end, 2½ months more with Form 5558 | Derived from the plan year |
| Typical audit fee (typical_fee_low/median/high) | Middle half of reported fees for plans of the same type and size in the state, region or nation | Schedule H, method |
| Plan administrator / recordkeeper | Who already works with the plan, where the filing names one (about one plan in five) | Form 5500-SF |
| Original filing, distance | Link to the filed PDF; distance from your office ZIP | EFAST2; Census ZIP centroids |
Known gaps: plans that changed EIN or plan number, late filers and corrections can be missing or appear a month late. Filings list no personal contacts, and we add none.
Updates
What arrives each month
- On the 6th of each month we load the new filings, rebuild the list and rerun the checks.
- By e-mail: new plans in your state or region and in your saved views.
- Online: the full ranked list with map, radius search and your team's statuses.
- To keep: a PDF report for partners and CSV files for Excel or your CRM.
- Once a year: the back-test of last year's list, published on the track record page.
Price per plan
What one plan on the list costs
Founding price divided by the plans currently on each list (first audits only, before the watch list).
| List | Plans | Per year | Per plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 333 | $390 | $1.17 |
| Texas | 158 | $390 | $2.47 |
| New York | 136 | $390 | $2.87 |
| Florida | 133 | $390 | $2.93 |
| Pennsylvania | 90 | $390 | $4.33 |
| Illinois | 87 | $390 | $4.48 |
| Northeast | 186 | $390 | $2.10 |
| Mid-Atlantic | 126 | $390 | $3.10 |
| Southeast | 182 | $390 | $2.14 |
| Midwest | 273 | $390 | $1.43 |
| West | 235 | $390 | $1.66 |
| South & Plains | 85 | $390 | $4.59 |
| Nationwide | 2,026 | $1,490 | $0.74 |
Free state sample
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