Bell Nursery USA LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Bell Nursery USA LLC 401(k) Plan
Elkridge, MDWholesale Trade1,761 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$380Employer $ per active participant
$764Employee $ saved per active participant
0.39%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$19.5MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity3.6 / 507th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.9 / 2532th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.3 / 152th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-5 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score10 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (603 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 7th |
| Lower admin cost | 32th |
| Employee saving | 2th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 53% |
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Red flags from the filing
Auditor disclaimer: the auditor issued a disclaimer of opinion.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Bell Nursery USA put in about $380 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 (0.39% 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 | $669,907 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,345,989 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $127,082 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $68,790 |
| Contract administrator fees | $38,210 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $30,580 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,116,758 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $16.2M / $19.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,606 / 1,916 |
| Participants with account balances | 331 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Platform Cpas, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $38,210 reported compensation |
| Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors | $30,580 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251006135118NAL0006541792001, received 2025-10-06, EIN 20-8745975, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.