Ware Group, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Ware Group, LLC 401(k) Plan · d/b/a Johnstone Supply
Jacksonville, FLWholesale Trade528 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,179Employer $ per active participant
$3,658Employee $ saved per active participant
0.38%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$31.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$85,589Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity15.4 / 5031th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.0 / 2532th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.9 / 1533th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score31 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (603 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 31th |
| Lower admin cost | 32th |
| Employee saving | 33th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 53% |
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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
- Ware Group put in about $1,179 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,792). 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 (0.38% 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 | $623,150 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,933,124 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $680,216 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $114,558 |
| Contract administrator fees | $114,558 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,882,879 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $28.4M / $31.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 534 / 523 |
| Participants with account balances | 366 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Grant Thornton |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $107,567 reported compensation |
| NFP Retirement | $51,125 reported compensation |
| Ascensus | $20,378 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260527084358NAL0007204961001, received 2026-05-27, EIN 26-3590999, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.