The Guidance Center 401(k) Review & Grade
The Guidance Center Employees' 401(k) Trust
Southgate, MIHealth Care & Social Assistance556 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,430Employer $ per active participant
$2,431Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$37.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$55,289Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity38.3 / 5077th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.7 / 2579th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.2 / 1548th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score75 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,427 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 77th |
| Lower admin cost | 79th |
| Employee saving | 48th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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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
- Guidance Center put in about $2,430 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($976). 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 | $1,350,026 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,350,400 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $346,574 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $29,730 |
| Other admin expenses | $2,120 |
| Benefits paid out | $4,267,586 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $35.7M / $37.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 541 / 570 |
| Participants with account balances | 680 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Plante & Moran |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Plante & Moran, PLLC | $21,500 reported compensation |
| Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and S | $6,110 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260901133806NAL0009970434001, received 2026-09-01, EIN 38-1621700, plan #002, plan year 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30. Verify at efast.dol.gov.