Tri-National, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Tri-National 401(k) Plan
St.charles, MOTransportation & Warehousing1,432 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$367Employer $ per active participant
$1,040Employee $ saved per active participant
0.71%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$11.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$14,067Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity9.0 / 5018th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.1 / 2512th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.0 / 1514th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score17 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 18th |
| Lower admin cost | 12th |
| Employee saving | 14th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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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
- Tri-National put in about $367 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,070). 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 (0.71% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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.
- 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 | $525,217 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,489,357 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $26,508 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $74,643 |
| Contract administrator fees | $32,123 |
| Other admin expenses | $42,520 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,898,849 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $9.7M / $11.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,555 / 1,309 |
| Participants with account balances | 796 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Conner Ash PC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Master Benefit Group, Inc. | $24,673 reported compensation |
| Capital Research and Management Co | $7,450 reported compensation |
| Morgan Stanley Wealth Management | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015103049NAL0002246483001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 20-1222154, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.