Core Specialty Insurance Services, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Core Specialty Insurance Services, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Cincinnati, OHFinance & Insurance946 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$7,508Employer $ per active participant
$10,901Employee $ saved per active participant
0.15%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$182.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$154,522Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity43.2 / 5086th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.7 / 2563th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.9 / 1579th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score78 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 86th |
| Lower admin cost | 63th |
| Employee saving | 79th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $472 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Core Specialty Insurance Services put in about $7,508 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,606). 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 | $7,102,800 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,312,063 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,272,840 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $244,239 |
| Contract administrator fees | $112,324 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $131,915 |
| Benefits paid out | $11,313,700 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $138.7M / $182.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 859 / 1,033 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,181 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | GBQ Partners LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| John Hancock | $128,972 reported compensation |
| Morgan Stanley | $115,266 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013155826NAL0001564929001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 27-0173350, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.