The Pep Boys - Manny, Moe & Jack LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
The Pep Boys 401(k) Plan
Bala Cynwyd, PARetail Trade8,244 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$231Employer $ per active participant
$1,786Employee $ saved per active participant
0.19%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$205.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$27,318Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity9.1 / 5018th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.0 / 2536th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.5 / 1543th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score35 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (183 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 18th |
| Lower admin cost | 36th |
| Employee saving | 43th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
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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
- Pep Boys - Manny, Moe & Jack put in about $231 per active participant, below the typical peer ($650). 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 (0.19% 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 | $1,907,044 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $14,725,068 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,756,139 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $385,676 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,200 |
| Other admin expenses | $32,831 |
| Benefits paid out | $34,838,264 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $195.8M / $205.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 7,948 / 8,541 |
| Participants with account balances | 7,512 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Grant Thornton LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $66,303 reported compensation |
| Thompson Hine | $64,739 reported compensation |
| Captrust | $32,831 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015113533NAL0002227315001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 85-4254017, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.