Judy Diamond Associates, the 401(k) plan intelligence provider of leading financial advisors, brokers and fund companies, released an analysis of the distribution of plan assets nationwide, revealing that the top 1% of plans hold 71.1% of all 401(k) assets.

There were approximately 500,000 active 401(k) plans in Q4 2013, with a collective $3.5 trillion in total assets.  Nearly three-quarters, or $2.54 trillion, was controlled by the top 1% (5,000 companies). In contrast, the other 99% (495,000 companies) of all 401(k) plans nationwide control only 29% of the total assets.

"This concentration of assets among such a small pool of plans gives large employers an outsized influence on the retirement market," said Eric Ryles, managing director of Judy Diamond Associates. "Our research showed that fewer than two-tenths of 1% of 401(k) plan sponsors are responsible for fully half of our nation's 401(k) retirement plan assets. That's only 630 very large companies controlling $1.75 trillion in assets."

This staggering concentration of responsibility for the nation's 401(k) retirement assets suggests that shifts in the investment options for a small number of plans could have a ripple effect which will impact every aspect of the market.

"Judy Diamond Associates tools help financial advisors and other retirement professionals identify changes in the market and adapt their selling strategies to remain competitive, generating both business intelligence and sales activity," Ryles said.