Dick Blick Holdings, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Dick Blick Profit Sharing Plan
Highland Park, ILRetail Trade1,621 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,642Employer $ per active participant
$3,187Employee $ saved per active participant
0.15%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$102.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$47,079Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity45.8 / 5092th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.8 / 2563th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.1 / 1554th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score73 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 92th |
| Lower admin cost | 63th |
| Employee saving | 54th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Dick Blick Holdings put in about $2,642 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($743). 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.
- 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 | $4,283,240 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $5,166,016 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $401,045 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $143,273 |
| Benefits paid out | $7,185,070 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $88.5M / $102.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,559 / 1,683 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,169 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Warady Davis LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $143,549 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250826123519NAL0017176802001, received 2025-08-26, EIN 36-4124707, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.