Channel Control Merchants, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Channel Control Merchants, LLC, 401(k)
Jupiter, FLRetail Trade692 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$281Employer $ per active participant
$489Employee $ saved per active participant
0.56%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$4.5MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity10.2 / 5020th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.9 / 2519th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.7 / 155th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score19 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 20th |
| Lower admin cost | 19th |
| Employee saving | 5th |
| 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
- Channel Control Merchants put in about $281 per active participant, below the typical peer ($743). 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 (0.56% 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 | $194,043 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $338,010 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $15,462 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $30,501 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $2,869 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,866,927 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $6.3M / $4.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,359 / 24 |
| Participants with account balances | 168 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | TMH, PLLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $27,632 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $2,869 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250428141240NAL0018883120001, received 2025-04-28, EIN 20-5053319, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.