D. Lark, Inc. DBA Mcdonalds Restaurants 401(k) Review & Grade
D. Lark, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Seattle, WAAccommodation & Food Services551 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500-SF filing · How we grade
$76Employer $ per active participant
$129Employee $ saved per active participant
1.18%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$342,099Net plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity10.5 / 5021th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost1.2 / 255th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.1 / 157th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score13 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (458 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 21th |
| Lower admin cost | 5th |
| Employee saving | 7th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 17% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $28,225 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- D. Lark, Inc. DBA Mcdonalds Restaurants put in about $76 per active participant, below the typical peer ($266). 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 (1.18% 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.
- 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 | $42,121 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $70,981 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | – |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $4,052 |
| Benefits paid out | – |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $0 / $342,099 |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 481 / 621 |
| Participants with account balances | 16 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500-SF filing, acknowledgment ID 20260501114348NAL0001694642001, received 2026-05-01, EIN 84-1468944, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.