Ems Management & Consultants, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Ems Management & Consultants, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan
Winston Salem, NCProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services632 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,477Employer $ per active participant
$2,321Employee $ saved per active participant
0.40%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$19.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$46,773Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity13.1 / 5026th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.6 / 2530th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.8 / 1512th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score23 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 26th |
| Lower admin cost | 30th |
| Employee saving | 12th |
| 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
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $269 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ems Management & Consultants put in about $1,477 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 (0.40% 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 | $933,888 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,468,267 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,051,994 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $56,602 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $22,607 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,121,683 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $8.5M / $19.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 617 / 648 |
| Participants with account balances | 423 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Rubinbrown LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $33,995 reported compensation |
| Mma Securities LLC | $15,000 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $7,607 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013103450NAL0000485891001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 56-1969494, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.