Municipal Emergency Services, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Municipal Emergency Services, Inc. Employees Savings Trust
Sandy Hook, CTRetail Trade658 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,113Employer $ per active participant
$4,847Employee $ saved per active participant
0.11%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$25.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$29,122Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity43.5 / 5087th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.2 / 2573th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.0 / 1580th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score84 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 87th |
| Lower admin cost | 73th |
| Employee saving | 80th |
| 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
- Municipal Emergency Services put in about $2,113 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($743). 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 | $1,391,572 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,191,683 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $687,013 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $23,811 |
| Contract administrator fees | $23,811 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,999,578 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $19.7M / $25.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 622 / 695 |
| Participants with account balances | 872 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Lance Shelby, CPA, PLLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Freeman Retirement Plan Consulting | $10,423 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251124110532NAL0002912960001, received 2025-11-24, EIN 65-1051374, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.