Merrick & Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Merrick & Company 401(k) and Esop
Greenwood Village, COProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services979 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$17,478Employer $ per active participant
$10,246Employee $ saved per active participant
0.16%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$207.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$141,455Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity49.4 / 5099th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.4 / 2561th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.1 / 1561th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score84 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 99th |
| Lower admin cost | 61th |
| Employee saving | 61th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- Merrick & put in about $17,478 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,082). 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 | $17,111,103 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,031,065 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,258,961 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $310,067 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $75,478 |
| Benefits paid out | $15,743,503 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $182.5M / $207.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 962 / 996 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,469 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Plante & Moran, PLLC |
| Employer stock held by plan | $61,572,258 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Milliman, Inc. | $209,589 reported compensation |
| Cook Street Consulting | $34,250 reported compensation |
| Prairie Capital Advisors | $29,469 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260114200835NAL0016171185001, received 2026-01-14, EIN 84-0499702, plan #004, plan year 2024-04-01 to 2025-03-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.