Empyrean Benefit Solutions, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Empyrean Benefit Solutions, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Houston, TXProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services848 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,600Employer $ per active participant
$6,148Employee $ saved per active participant
0.39%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$65.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$84,650Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity21.4 / 5043th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.9 / 2532th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.6 / 1531th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score37 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 43th |
| Lower admin cost | 32th |
| Employee saving | 31th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
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
- Empyrean Benefit Solutions put in about $2,600 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,082). 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 (0.39% 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 | $2,204,544 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $5,213,611 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,054,193 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $227,895 |
| Contract administrator fees | $211,191 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $15,104 |
| Other admin expenses | $1,600 |
| Benefits paid out | $4,011,620 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $52.8M / $65.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 824 / 872 |
| Participants with account balances | 769 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Lbmc, PC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Voya Retirement Insurance & Annuity | $212,813 reported compensation |
| Voya Retirement Advisors, LLC | $15,095 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250724140634NAL0002567907001, received 2025-07-24, EIN 20-3029813, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.