DFS Holding Company, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
DFS Holding Company, LLC 401(k) Plan
Vernon Hills, ILWholesale Trade553 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$700Employer $ per active participant
$3,909Employee $ saved per active participant
0.61%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$29.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$49,257Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity6.6 / 5013th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.2 / 2517th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.6 / 1538th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score26 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (603 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 13th |
| Lower admin cost | 17th |
| Employee saving | 38th |
| 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
- DFS Holding Company put in about $700 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.61% 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.
- 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 | $387,274 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,161,887 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $417,580 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $175,991 |
| Contract administrator fees | $170,955 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $5,036 |
| Benefits paid out | $4,531,551 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $27.7M / $29.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 571 / 535 |
| Participants with account balances | 604 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $30,867 reported compensation |
| Ifp Insurance Group, LLC | $5,041 reported compensation |
| Morningstar Investment Management L | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015131609NAL0006208224001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 27-3895381, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.