Buc-Ee's, LTD. 401(k) Review & Grade
Company Savings Plan
Lake Jackson, TXRetail Trade5,728 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,759Employer $ per active participant
$2,180Employee $ saved per active participant
0.47%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$70.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$18,518Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity42.6 / 5085th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.5 / 2514th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.2 / 1555th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score51 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (183 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 85th |
| Lower admin cost | 14th |
| Employee saving | 55th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $518 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Buc-Ee's put in about $1,759 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($650). 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 (0.47% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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 | $10,078,248 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $12,485,771 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,034,629 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $273,104 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $53,445 |
| Benefits paid out | $6,823,686 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $46.2M / $70.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 5,308 / 6,149 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,824 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Weaver & Tidwell, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Schwab Retirement Plan Services,inc | $272,653 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013084729NAL0001533008001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 76-0140292, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.