The Alden Group, LTD. 401(k) Review & Grade
The Alden Network 401(k) Plan
Chicago, ILHealth Care & Social Assistance3,740 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$84Employer $ per active participant
$3,148Employee $ saved per active participant
0.38%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$128.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$28,400Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity10.9 / 5022th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.3 / 2517th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.9 / 1553th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score33 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (312 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 22th |
| Lower admin cost | 17th |
| Employee saving | 53th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 38% |
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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
- Alden Group put in about $84 per active participant, below the typical peer ($800). 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 (0.38% 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 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 | $312,988 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $11,771,259 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,281,078 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $452,849 |
| Contract administrator fees | $452,849 |
| Benefits paid out | $9,281,792 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $109.9M / $128.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,694 / 3,785 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,513 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| John Hancock Retirement Plan Serv. | $631,439 reported compensation |
| Cambridge Investment Research | $99,149 reported compensation |
| Definiti LLC | $22,650 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010140023NAL0008268641001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 36-3107839, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.