Empower Clinic Services LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Empower Pharmacy 401(k) Plan
Houston, TXManufacturing970 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,865Employer $ per active participant
$3,133Employee $ saved per active participant
0.91%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$14.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$15,913Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity20.0 / 5040th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost1.9 / 258th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.7 / 1525th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score26 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 40th |
| Lower admin cost | 8th |
| Employee saving | 25th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($167,919 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Empower Clinic Services put in about $1,865 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). 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 (0.91% 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.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $1,810,292 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,040,302 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,431,773 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $105,562 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $29,753 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,091,670 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $8.2M / $14.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 809 / 1,132 |
| Participants with account balances | 934 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Lee CPA Audit Group |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $75,809 reported compensation |
| Hays Group Inc DBA Hays Companies | $18,681 reported compensation |
| The Hays Financial Group, LLC | $11,072 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013134503NAL0001428001001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 26-3899110, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.