Dialogdirect, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Qualfon/dialog Direct 401k Plan
Highland Park, MIProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services2,981 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$154Employer $ per active participant
$1,321Employee $ saved per active participant
0.40%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$55.7MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity5.4 / 5011th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.1 / 2516th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.6 / 1511th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score11 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (231 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 11th |
| Lower admin cost | 16th |
| Employee saving | 11th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $121,055 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Dialogdirect put in about $154 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,951). 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 (0.40% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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 | $458,419 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,936,802 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $309,610 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $210,980 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $82,940 |
| Other admin expenses | $2,400 |
| Benefits paid out | $4,973,256 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $48.6M / $55.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,873 / 3,089 |
| Participants with account balances | 986 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Uhy LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $119,490 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning LLC | $73,461 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $9,479 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260204122338NAL0005697600001, received 2026-02-04, EIN 46-1570786, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.