Ef Services, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Ef Education 401k Retirement Savings Plan
Cambridge, MAEducational Services2,630 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,519Employer $ per active participant
$6,776Employee $ saved per active participant
0.17%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$230.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$77,538Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity36.4 / 5073th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost10.1 / 2540th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.6 / 1591th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score60 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Educational Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (34 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 73th |
| Lower admin cost | 40th |
| Employee saving | 91th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 65% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $13,138 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ef Services put in about $1,519 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,155). 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 | $3,995,027 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $17,816,686 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,756,777 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $346,875 |
| Contract administrator fees | $900 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $70,116 |
| Benefits paid out | $11,231,990 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $184.9M / $230.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,635 / 2,624 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,969 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | TSS Financial Partners, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC | $70,116 reported compensation |
| TSS Financial Partners, LLP | $17,600 reported compensation |
| Tyler, Simms & ST. Sauveur, Cpas | $12,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251008110218NAL0002942211001, received 2025-10-08, EIN 04-3534772, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.