Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Houghton Mifflin 401(k) Savings Plan
Boston, MAInformation2,830 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,838Employer $ per active participant
$9,455Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$644.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$136,280Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity19.5 / 5039th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost16.5 / 2566th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.4 / 1556th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score44 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (60 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 39th |
| Lower admin cost | 66th |
| Employee saving | 56th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 63% |
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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
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing put in about $2,838 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,691). 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 | $8,031,346 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $26,752,459 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,224,354 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $467,289 |
| Contract administrator fees | $283,561 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $160,207 |
| Benefits paid out | $67,962,362 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $583.2M / $644.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,891 / 2,768 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,727 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Caron & Bletzer PLLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Inst. Ops. Co | $283,561 reported compensation |
| Nepc LLC | $160,207 reported compensation |
| Caron & Bletzer PLLC | $19,600 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014110704NAL0002705777002, received 2025-10-14, EIN 04-1456030, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.