Carroll Independent Fuel, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Carroll Independent Fuel 401(k) Retirement Plan
Sparks Glencoe, MDWholesale Trade926 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,160Employer $ per active participant
$2,133Employee $ saved per active participant
0.18%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$45.4MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity15.0 / 5030th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.2 / 2557th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.0 / 1513th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score41 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (603 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 30th |
| Lower admin cost | 57th |
| Employee saving | 13th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 53% |
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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
- Carroll Independent Fuel put in about $1,160 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,792). 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.
- 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 | $1,073,775 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,974,385 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $149,622 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $78,303 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $81,026 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,084,488 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $40.0M / $45.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 729 / 1,122 |
| Participants with account balances | 365 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Clifton Larson Allen |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Wilmington Trust National Assoc | $81,026 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | −$2,723 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251006110840NAL0003536561001, received 2025-10-06, EIN 52-0265090, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.