Barnes & Noble, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Barnes & Noble 401(k) Plan
Westbury, NYRetail Trade12,971 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$843Employer $ per active participant
$1,854Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$789.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$95,798Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity31.7 / 5063th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.9 / 2564th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.0 / 1560th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score57 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 63th |
| Lower admin cost | 64th |
| Employee saving | 60th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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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
- Barnes & Noble put in about $843 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($689). 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 | $10,938,000 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $24,042,701 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,092,611 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $453,992 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $33,051 |
| Other admin expenses | $42,885 |
| Benefits paid out | $60,995,367 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $688.0M / $789.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 12,897 / 13,045 |
| Participants with account balances | 8,245 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Ernst & Young LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investment Instl Ops Co | $378,056 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc | $33,051 reported compensation |
| Cook Street Consulting, Inc | $20,688 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014153503NAL0003296497001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 06-1196501, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.