White Castle System, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
White Castle 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Columbus, OHAccommodation & Food Services1,870 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,174Employer $ per active participant
$4,849Employee $ saved per active participant
0.33%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$96.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$45,104Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity48.0 / 5096th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.4 / 2538th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.4 / 1596th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score75 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (458 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 96th |
| Lower admin cost | 38th |
| Employee saving | 96th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 17% |
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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
- White Castle System put in about $2,174 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($266). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- 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.
- 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 | $4,066,388 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $9,070,706 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $357,814 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $290,423 |
| Other admin expenses | $290,423 |
| Benefits paid out | $8,042,260 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $81.7M / $96.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,862 / 1,879 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,143 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | GBQ Partners LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $296,446 reported compensation |
| Aon | $9,557 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013103201NAL0002431458001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 31-4340520, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.