99 Cents Only Stores LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
99 Cents Only Stores LLC 401(k) Plan
City of Commerce, CARetail Trade10,333 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$118Employer $ per active participant
$286Employee $ saved per active participant
0.29%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$3.4MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity2.4 / 505th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.5 / 2510th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.1 / 151th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score0 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 5th |
| Lower admin cost | 10th |
| Employee saving | 1th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $4,592 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- 99 Cents Only Stores put in about $118 per active participant, below the typical peer ($689). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.29% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $1,223,020 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,953,071 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $103,355 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $109,144 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $51,497 |
| Benefits paid out | $80,242,309 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $72.5M / $3.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 10,333 / 0 |
| Participants with account balances | 87 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $51,957 reported compensation |
| Ubs Financial Services Inc | $51,497 reported compensation |
| Holthouse Carlin Van Trigt LLP | $5,690 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260707154713NAL0019287409001, received 2026-07-07, EIN 95-2411605, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.