Adams Communications Company LLC, DBA Adams Publishing Group 401(k) Review & Grade
Apg-Rewards 401(k) Plan
Easton, MDInformation1,472 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4Employer $ per active participant
$2,214Employee $ saved per active participant
0.51%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$48.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$23,524Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity3.2 / 506th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost5.6 / 2522th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.0 / 156th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score20 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 500–2,499 active participants (310 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 6th |
| Lower admin cost | 22th |
| Employee saving | 6th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Adams Communications Company LLC, DBA Adams Publishing Group put in about $4 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,829). 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 (0.51% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- 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 | $5,718 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,257,343 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $614,383 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $244,068 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $51,533 |
| Benefits paid out | $7,660,308 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $47.1M / $48.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,544 / 1,399 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,065 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Firth-Smith & Archibald, LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Transamerica Retirement Solutions | $167,534 reported compensation |
| Capfinancial Partners, LLC | $51,533 reported compensation |
| Firth-Smith & Archibald, LLC | $25,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013093646NAL0001044257001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 46-4951341, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.