Populous Group, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Populous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Kansas City, MOProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services544 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,352Employer $ per active participant
$9,971Employee $ saved per active participant
0.18%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$94.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$133,267Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity34.0 / 5068th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.2 / 2557th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.8 / 1559th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score67 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 68th |
| Lower admin cost | 57th |
| Employee saving | 59th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Populous Group put in about $4,352 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 | $2,365,253 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $5,419,276 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,339,547 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $158,085 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $100,121 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,324,797 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $76.2M / $94.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 482 / 605 |
| Participants with account balances | 712 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Forvis Formerly BKD |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Cbiz Investment Advisory Services | $84,730 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $57,964 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $15,391 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013141349NAL0001400321001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 43-1872565, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.