Carter-Jones Companies, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Carter-Jones Companies 401(k) Retirement Plan
Kent, OHRetail Trade3,928 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$732Employer $ per active participant
$3,865Employee $ saved per active participant
0.10%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$167.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$28,071Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity27.2 / 5054th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.6 / 2559th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.5 / 1576th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score53 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (183 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 54th |
| Lower admin cost | 59th |
| Employee saving | 76th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
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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
- Carter-Jones Companies put in about $732 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($650). 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.
- 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 | $2,874,277 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,181,577 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $901,040 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $148,316 |
| Benefits paid out | $9,774,343 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $142.6M / $167.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,902 / 3,953 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,964 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Usi Consulting Group | $82,477 reported compensation |
| Charles Schwab | $65,839 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250818184537NAL0000783235001, received 2025-08-18, EIN 34-1128274, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.