Cha Consulting Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Cha Consulting, Inc. Retirement Investment Plan
Albany, NYProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,834 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,002Employer $ per active participant
$9,786Employee $ saved per active participant
0.13%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$268.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$110,407Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity24.5 / 5049th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost16.6 / 2567th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.6 / 1557th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score57 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 49th |
| Lower admin cost | 67th |
| Employee saving | 57th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $12,974 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Cha Consulting put in about $3,002 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,082). 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.
- 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 | $5,507,601 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $17,951,620 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,240,412 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $332,707 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $191,619 |
| Benefits paid out | $22,657,691 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $229.6M / $268.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,715 / 1,954 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,430 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Uhy |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC | $160,797 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $141,088 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $30,822 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250728174249NAL0005503650001, received 2025-07-28, EIN 16-0966259, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.