The Hillman Group, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The Hillman Group, Inc. Retirement Savings and Profit Sharing Plan
Cincinnati, OHWholesale Trade3,288 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,339Employer $ per active participant
$3,996Employee $ saved per active participant
0.14%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$191.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$48,135Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity12.7 / 5025th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost11.2 / 2545th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.3 / 1528th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score35 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (103 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 25th |
| Lower admin cost | 45th |
| Employee saving | 28th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $56,104 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Hillman Group put in about $1,339 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,459). 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 | $4,401,886 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $13,140,451 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,343,947 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $257,856 |
| Contract administrator fees | $600 |
| Benefits paid out | $20,951,239 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $167.4M / $191.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,003 / 3,573 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,968 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Katz Sapper & Miller, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $257,856 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251017101910NAL0003698115001, received 2025-10-17, EIN 31-1623179, plan #012, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.