Empire International LTD DBA Empire CLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services 401(k) Review & Grade
Empire CLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services 401(k) Plan
Secaucus, NJTransportation & Warehousing566 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,062Employer $ per active participant
$2,627Employee $ saved per active participant
0.60%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$12.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$40,239Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity24.7 / 5049th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.4 / 2517th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.4 / 1543th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score39 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 49th |
| Lower admin cost | 17th |
| Employee saving | 43th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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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
- Empire International LTD DBA Empire CLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services put in about $1,062 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,070). 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 (0.60% 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 | $600,874 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,486,872 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $12,753 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $65,592 |
| Contract administrator fees | $38,815 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $18,852 |
| Benefits paid out | $607,534 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $9.6M / $12.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 522 / 610 |
| Participants with account balances | 305 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Held, Kranzler, Mccosker & Pulice |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Wells Fargo Advisors | $18,852 reported compensation |
| John Hancock Life Insurance Company | $1,654 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251007104343NAL0002591507003, received 2025-10-07, EIN 22-2327272, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.