Sentinel Technologies, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Sentinel Technologies Retirement Plan and Trust
Downers Grove, ILProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services717 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,368Employer $ per active participant
$10,348Employee $ saved per active participant
0.21%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$100.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$127,284Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity19.6 / 5039th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost13.0 / 2552th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.4 / 1563th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score52 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 39th |
| Lower admin cost | 52th |
| Employee saving | 63th |
| 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
- Sentinel Technologies put in about $2,368 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,082). 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.
- 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 | $1,697,636 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,419,613 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,179,537 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $199,927 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $61,342 |
| Benefits paid out | $9,432,038 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $88.0M / $100.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 724 / 710 |
| Participants with account balances | 786 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cherry Bekaert |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and S | $138,585 reported compensation |
| Capital Strategies Investment Group | $61,342 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250902165930NAL0008605683001, received 2025-09-02, EIN 36-3199182, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.