Brilliant Earth, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Brilliant Earth, LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
San Francisco, CARetail Trade594 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,003Employer $ per active participant
$4,896Employee $ saved per active participant
0.42%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$21.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$29,751Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity47.3 / 5095th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.2 / 2529th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.1 / 1581th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score70 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 95th |
| Lower admin cost | 29th |
| Employee saving | 81th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- Brilliant Earth put in about $3,003 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($743). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.42% 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 | $1,785,287 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,910,751 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $785,932 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $77,769 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,272,501 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $15.4M / $21.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 597 / 592 |
| Participants with account balances | 731 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $74,295 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009173452NAL0003789059001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 20-3413075, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.