Dollar Tree, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Dollar Tree Retirement Savings Plan
Chesapeake, VARetail Trade88,254 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$429Employer $ per active participant
$665Employee $ saved per active participant
0.15%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$979.1MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity14.6 / 5029th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.7 / 2527th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.5 / 1510th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score23 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 29th |
| Lower admin cost | 27th |
| Employee saving | 10th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $17,540 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Dollar Tree put in about $429 per active participant, below the typical peer ($689). 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 (0.15% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). 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 | $37,843,715 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $58,705,613 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,689,637 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,442,120 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $85,725 |
| Other admin expenses | $1,950 |
| Benefits paid out | $122,338,323 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $890.6M / $979.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 76,875 / 99,632 |
| Participants with account balances | 28,999 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | KPMG |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $1,354,445 reported compensation |
| Mercer (US) Inc Mercer Investments | $85,725 reported compensation |
| Qdro Consultants Company, LLC | $1,950 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251120134611NAL0002925491001, received 2025-11-20, EIN 26-2018846, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.