Brinker International, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Brinker International 401(k) Savings Plan
Dallas, TXAccommodation & Food Services45,268 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$324Employer $ per active participant
$668Employee $ saved per active participant
0.14%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$494.7MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity20.0 / 5040th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.5 / 2530th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.1 / 1528th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score25 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 10,000+ active participants (41 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 40th |
| Lower admin cost | 30th |
| Employee saving | 28th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 24% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Brinker International put in about $324 per active participant, below the typical peer ($393). 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 (0.14% 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 | $14,648,272 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $30,224,780 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,134,664 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $636,704 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,800 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $65,223 |
| Benefits paid out | $50,289,951 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $402.7M / $494.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 39,821 / 50,716 |
| Participants with account balances | 8,852 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Whitley Penn LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $45,073,681 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $571,482 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $65,223 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250523120438NAL0002723235001, received 2025-05-23, EIN 75-2354902, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.