Brookline Bancorp, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Brookline Bancorp 401(k) Plan
Boston, MAFinance & Insurance984 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,929Employer $ per active participant
$8,544Employee $ saved per active participant
0.09%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$168.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$127,252Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity33.0 / 5066th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.3 / 2577th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.9 / 1566th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score55 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 66th |
| Lower admin cost | 77th |
| Employee saving | 66th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Brookline Bancorp put in about $4,929 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,606). 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 | $4,852,967 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,411,691 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,622,246 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $138,164 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $182,339 |
| Other admin expenses | $129,737 |
| Benefits paid out | $19,154,844 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $146.1M / $168.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 971 / 998 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,326 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | PKF O'connor Davies, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Global Retirement Partners LLC | $80,280 reported compensation |
| Wellth Advisory Services LLC | $62,653 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $39,406 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015141434NAL0009663362001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 04-3402944, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.