Columbus Medical Services, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Columbus Organization 401(k) Plan
Blue Bell, PAHealth Care & Social Assistance696 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$390Employer $ per active participant
$2,588Employee $ saved per active participant
0.77%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$16.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$16,489Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity14.8 / 5030th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.7 / 2511th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.6 / 1551th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-8 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score27 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,427 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 30th |
| Lower admin cost | 11th |
| Employee saving | 51th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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Red flags from the filing
Auditor disclaimer: the auditor issued a disclaimer of opinion.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $5,977 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Columbus Medical Services put in about $390 per active participant, below the typical peer ($976). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.77% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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.
- 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 | $270,954 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,799,773 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $646,629 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $121,391 |
| Contract administrator fees | $78,690 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $42,701 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,222,253 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $15.1M / $16.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 723 / 668 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,001 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Joseph P. Melvin Company |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $78,690 reported compensation |
| Kathmere Capital Management | $32,222 reported compensation |
| Kathmere Capital Management. | $10,479 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014102908NAL0005426402001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 75-2690132, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.