Eshares, Inc. DBA Carta Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Eshares, Inc. 401(k) Plan
San Francisco, CAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,189 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,160Employer $ per active participant
$15,491Employee $ saved per active participant
0.38%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$129.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$63,640Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity32.8 / 5066th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.1 / 2533th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.5 / 1590th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score61 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 66th |
| Lower admin cost | 33th |
| Employee saving | 90th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $505 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Eshares, Inc. DBA Carta put in about $4,160 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,082). 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 (0.38% 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.
- 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 | $4,946,716 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $18,418,440 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,917,553 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $431,473 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $196,482 |
| Benefits paid out | $15,604,119 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $100.5M / $129.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,226 / 1,152 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,027 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Tanner LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $234,991 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $107,907 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $94,606 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251008171920NAL0009830320001, received 2025-10-08, EIN 45-5639657, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.