Morgan Stanley vs Wells Fargo 401(k) match: 5% vs 6%
+1 pt
Winner on the headline number: Wells Fargo, at 6% of pay against Morgan Stanley's 5%. Both filings disclose the full formula, so the two numbers compare like for like; vesting, true-up and enrollment defaults still differ line by line below.
On a $60,000 salary, that gap is worth $600 a year more in employer money from Wells Fargo.
Filings lag by design and formulas can change between them. Why filings lag
Which 401(k) match is larger, Morgan Stanley or Wells Fargo?
Wells Fargo offers the larger 401(k) match: up to 6% of pay against Morgan Stanley's 5%, per each company's SEC Form 11-K for the plan year ended December 31, 2025.
| Morgan Stanley | Wells Fargo | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum employer matchThe most the employer adds, as a share of your pay. | 5% of pay | 6% of pay (the larger maximum match) |
| Match formula | 100% (dollar-for-dollar) of the first 5% of pay | 100% (dollar-for-dollar) of the first 6% of pay |
| Contribute to collect it allWhat you must put in to earn the full match. | 5% of pay | 6% of pay |
| Vesting of the match | Cliff: 100% vested after 3 years of service | Cliff: 100% vested after 3 years of service |
| Automatic enrollment | Not mentioned in the filing | Not mentioned in the filing |
| Plan year | Ended December 31, 2025 | Ended December 31, 2025 |
Read from each company's most recent SEC Form 11-K filing. When a filing does not disclose something, we say so instead of guessing.
Useful links
- Morgan Stanley: full 401(k) plan facts
Formula, vesting, eligibility and the verbatim filing sentences.
- Wells Fargo: full 401(k) plan facts
Formula, vesting, eligibility and the verbatim filing sentences.
- Compare any two companies side by side
Pick your own pair from every company in the data.
More comparisons
- Bank of America vs Morgan Stanleyboth 5%
- U.S. Bancorp vs Wells FargoWells Fargo by 2 pts
- Morgan Stanley vs U.S. BancorpMorgan Stanley by 1 pt
- JPMorgan Chase vs Wells FargoWells Fargo by 1 pt
- JPMorgan Chase vs U.S. BancorpJPMorgan Chase by 1 pt
The figure is the gap between the two maximum matches, in percentage points of pay.