Buffalo Exchange LTD. 401(k) Review & Grade
Buffalo Exchange LTD. 401(k) Plan
Tucson, AZRetail Trade774 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$226Employer $ per active participant
$891Employee $ saved per active participant
0.10%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$8.3MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity8.6 / 5017th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.5 / 2574th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.9 / 1513th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score29 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 17th |
| Lower admin cost | 74th |
| Employee saving | 13th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $18,395 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Buffalo Exchange put in about $226 per active participant, below the typical peer ($743). 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.
- 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 | $175,179 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $689,292 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $73,340 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $7,755 |
| Benefits paid out | $939,486 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $7.2M / $8.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 751 / 796 |
| Participants with account balances | 208 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | R & a Cpas |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $7,755 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250807164249NAL0002255235001, received 2025-08-07, EIN 86-0354518, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.