Ares Holdings, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Nextech 401(k) Plan · d/b/a Cms/nextech
Melbourne, FLManagement of Companies2,136 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,093Employer $ per active participant
$3,730Employee $ saved per active participant
0.26%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$56.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$24,771Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity9.9 / 5020th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost11.3 / 2545th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.7 / 1532th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score26 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Management of Companies plans with 500–2,499 active participants (172 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 20th |
| Lower admin cost | 45th |
| Employee saving | 32th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 58% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $89,364 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ares Holdings put in about $1,093 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,492). 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.
- 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 | $2,333,352 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,964,988 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $344,613 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $104,496 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $14,810 |
| Benefits paid out | $8,723,625 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $22.6M / $56.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,470 / 2,801 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,279 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Berman Hopkins Wright Laham |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $89,686 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $14,810 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015105058NAL0008823650001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 65-1162436, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.