Carolina Meadows, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Carolina Meadows 403(b) Retirement Plan
Chapel Hill, NCHealth Care & Social Assistance512 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,120Employer $ per active participant
$1,819Employee $ saved per active participant
0.13%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$16.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$20,999Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity26.6 / 5053th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.1 / 2568th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.8 / 1539th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score60 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,427 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 53th |
| Lower admin cost | 68th |
| Employee saving | 39th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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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
- Carolina Meadows put in about $1,120 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($976). 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.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- 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 | $573,486 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $931,286 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $82,267 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $18,730 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $492 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,170,826 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $13.9M / $16.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 498 / 526 |
| Participants with account balances | 762 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bernard Robinson & Company |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $18,238 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group LLC | $492 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251007154507NAL0008211920001, received 2025-10-07, EIN 56-1380014, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.