Caleres, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Caleres, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan
Saint Louis, MORetail Trade2,303 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,011Employer $ per active participant
$4,600Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$275.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$85,136Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity42.6 / 5085th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.4 / 2594th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.4 / 1576th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score77 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 85th |
| Lower admin cost | 94th |
| Employee saving | 76th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $300,226 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Caleres put in about $2,011 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.
- 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 | $4,631,436 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,593,356 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,290,427 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $70,576 |
| Contract administrator fees | $70,576 |
| Benefits paid out | $37,403,913 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $265.2M / $275.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,326 / 2,280 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,240 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
| Employer stock held by plan | $19,898,467 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $70,576 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014084019NAL0005128034001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 43-0197190, plan #006, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.