The Talbots LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
The Talbots Retirement Savings 401(k) Plan
Hingham, MARetail Trade4,840 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$498Employer $ per active participant
$2,206Employee $ saved per active participant
0.26%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$236.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$55,998Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity19.0 / 5038th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.7 / 2527th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.3 / 1555th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score41 / 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 | 38th |
| Lower admin cost | 27th |
| Employee saving | 55th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $32 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Talbots put in about $498 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 (0.26% 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 | $2,412,092 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,675,379 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,124,157 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $591,184 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $116,774 |
| Benefits paid out | $30,858,400 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $219.1M / $236.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,850 / 4,829 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,226 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cbiz Cpas P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $462,410 reported compensation |
| Global Retirement Partners LLC | $103,780 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $12,994 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251003130730NAL0000868147001, received 2025-10-03, EIN 41-1111318, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.