Black Forest Ventures, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Black Forest 401(k) Plan
The Woodlands, TXManagement of Companies616 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,622Employer $ per active participant
$3,572Employee $ saved per active participant
0.21%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$21.8MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity15.2 / 5030th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost13.4 / 2554th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.4 / 1529th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score33 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Management of Companies plans with 500–2,499 active participants (172 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 30th |
| Lower admin cost | 54th |
| Employee saving | 29th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 58% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,883 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Black Forest Ventures put in about $1,622 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,492). 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.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- 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 | $998,332 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,198,699 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $370,496 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $41,250 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $10,159 |
| Other admin expenses | $4,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,891,969 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $18.4M / $21.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 565 / 666 |
| Participants with account balances | 280 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Seitz,demarco,&mcgovern, PLLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $27,102 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $10,159 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015143420NAL0005146113001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 26-4068540, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.