Aces 2020, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Aces 401(k) Plan
San Diego, CAEducational Services1,007 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$393Employer $ per active participant
$2,810Employee $ saved per active participant
0.72%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$13.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$12,359Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity6.6 / 5013th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.0 / 2512th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.5 / 1557th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score25 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Educational Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (144 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 13th |
| Lower admin cost | 12th |
| Employee saving | 57th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $10,812 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Aces 2020 put in about $393 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,225). 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 (0.72% 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.
- 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 | $395,591 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,829,208 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $15,056 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $86,404 |
| Contract administrator fees | $86,404 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,005,640 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $10.0M / $13.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 931 / 1,083 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,127 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Duffy Kruspodin, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Voya Retirement Insurance & Annuity | $86,404 reported compensation |
| Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC | $30,110 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014235509NAL0007794850001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 33-0883047, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.