Arc Thrift Stores 401(k) Review & Grade
Arc Thrift Stores 401(k) Retirement Plan
Lakewood, CORetail Trade1,266 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$798Employer $ per active participant
$1,056Employee $ saved per active participant
0.67%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$17.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$10,838Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity26.4 / 5053th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.5 / 2514th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.6 / 1517th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score33 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 53th |
| Lower admin cost | 14th |
| Employee saving | 17th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- Arc Thrift Stores put in about $798 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($743). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- 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 (0.67% 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.
- 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 | $1,010,350 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,336,127 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | – |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $109,934 |
| Contract administrator fees | $62,386 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $44,423 |
| Other admin expenses | $3,125 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,624,274 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $15.1M / $17.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,072 / 1,459 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,627 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Watson Coon Ryan, LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Voya Retirement Insurance & Annuity | $109,934 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260709164854NAL0000822914001, received 2026-07-09, EIN 84-0515942, plan #002, plan year 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30. Verify at efast.dol.gov.