Pathway Vet Alliance LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Pathway Vet Alliance LLC 401k Plan
Austin, TXProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services9,059 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$653Employer $ per active participant
$3,308Employee $ saved per active participant
0.25%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$207.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$36,880Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity8.9 / 5018th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.9 / 2528th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.7 / 1518th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score9 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (231 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 18th |
| Lower admin cost | 28th |
| Employee saving | 18th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($12,125 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,778,288 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Pathway Vet Alliance put in about $653 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,951). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.25% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $5,914,937 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $29,968,059 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,446,586 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $463,814 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $65,087 |
| Other admin expenses | $10,500 |
| Benefits paid out | $18,685,343 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $163.1M / $207.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 8,598 / 9,520 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,622 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Cohnreznick LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $388,227 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning LLC | $65,087 reported compensation |
| Armanino LLP | $10,500 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014170529NAL0004612880001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 81-3009747, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.