Designer Brands Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Designer Brands Inc. 401(k) Plan
Columbus, OHRetail Trade8,760 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$760Employer $ per active participant
$1,717Employee $ saved per active participant
0.13%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$241.8MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity28.0 / 5056th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost12.1 / 2549th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.3 / 1542th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score49 / 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 | 56th |
| Lower admin cost | 49th |
| Employee saving | 42th |
| 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
- Designer Brands put in about $760 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 | $6,654,897 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,038,890 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,595,541 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $298,016 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $106,183 |
| Benefits paid out | $38,526,622 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $227.3M / $241.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 7,189 / 10,332 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,453 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Meaden & Moore, LTD. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $191,833 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $106,184 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250821053702NAL0003975985001, received 2025-08-21, EIN 31-0746639, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.