Hachette Book Group, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Hachette Book Group, Inc. 401(k) Plan
New York, NYInformation1,538 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,357Employer $ per active participant
$6,963Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$283.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$165,579Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity20.6 / 5041th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.0 / 2580th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.8 / 1539th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score36 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 500–2,499 active participants (310 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 41th |
| Lower admin cost | 80th |
| Employee saving | 39th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $102,499 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Hachette Book Group put in about $2,357 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,829). 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.
- 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 | $3,623,399 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,705,393 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $7,511,009 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $203,404 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,500 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $91,956 |
| Benefits paid out | $28,321,122 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $252.8M / $283.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,524 / 1,551 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,710 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $113,032 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $91,956 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015190203NAL0002794403001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 13-3922175, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.