Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC Employees' Retirement Savings Plan
Sandy Springs, GAWholesale Trade3,526 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$12,681Employer $ per active participant
$10,681Employee $ saved per active participant
0.09%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$984.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$194,824Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity50.0 / 50100th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.9 / 2560th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.6 / 1597th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score87 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (103 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 100th |
| Lower admin cost | 60th |
| Employee saving | 97th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $40,598 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Mercedes-Benz USA put in about $12,681 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,459). 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.
- 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 | $44,720,577 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $37,666,146 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,488,557 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $847,268 |
| Contract administrator fees | $23,025 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $161,833 |
| Other admin expenses | $280,886 |
| Benefits paid out | $70,759,576 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $845.1M / $984.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,563 / 3,490 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,052 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Warren Averett Cpas and Advisors |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Voya Institutional Plan Services | $349,578 reported compensation |
| Mercer | $270,585 reported compensation |
| Voya M | $91,222 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250812072749NAL0009562768001, received 2025-08-12, EIN 22-2375138, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.