Ernest Health, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Ernest Health Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan
Mesquite, TXHealth Care & Social Assistance5,496 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$342Employer $ per active participant
$2,869Employee $ saved per active participant
0.26%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$123.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$32,098Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity19.1 / 5038th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.6 / 2526th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.6 / 1551th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score33 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (312 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 38th |
| Lower admin cost | 26th |
| Employee saving | 51th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 38% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $58,025 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ernest Health put in about $342 per active participant, below the typical peer ($800). 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 (0.26% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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 | $1,880,288 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,767,049 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,641,115 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $296,567 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $72,930 |
| Benefits paid out | $11,364,690 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $101.3M / $123.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 5,588 / 5,404 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,842 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $223,637 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning LLC | $72,920 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250723155301NAL0002137651001, received 2025-07-23, EIN 14-1839795, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.