Esa Management, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Esa Management, LLC 401(k) Plan
Charlotte, NCAccommodation & Food Services7,290 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$249Employer $ per active participant
$1,003Employee $ saved per active participant
0.53%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$80.9MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity25.2 / 5050th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.9 / 2512th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.0 / 1560th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score27 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (104 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 50th |
| Lower admin cost | 12th |
| Employee saving | 60th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 15% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $266,573 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Esa Management put in about $249 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($244). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- 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 (0.53% 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 | $1,815,507 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,310,640 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,534,783 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $404,230 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $82,945 |
| Other admin expenses | $3,036 |
| Benefits paid out | $9,019,508 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $71.0M / $80.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 7,293 / 7,288 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,605 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Cherry Bekaert LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $291,474 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning LLC | $45,000 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $37,945 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251008150235NAL0006038529001, received 2025-10-08, EIN 90-1015925, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.