Esler Companies, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Esler Companies 401(k) Plan
Smithfield, RIConstruction1,580 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,017Employer $ per active participant
$7,839Employee $ saved per active participant
0.43%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$85.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$38,903Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity37.5 / 5075th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.1 / 2528th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.8 / 1586th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score67 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Construction plans with 500–2,499 active participants (498 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 75th |
| Lower admin cost | 28th |
| Employee saving | 86th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 44% |
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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
- Esler Companies put in about $3,017 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,672). 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 (0.43% 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 | $4,765,057 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $12,382,351 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,043,595 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $319,881 |
| Contract administrator fees | $319,881 |
| Benefits paid out | $6,927,935 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $64.8M / $85.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,497 / 1,662 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,186 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Doeren Mayhew Assurance |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $208,482 reported compensation |
| Ascensus Holdings Inc DBA Futurepla | $89,506 reported compensation |
| Grimes & Company Inc. | $80,634 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250912110731NAL0000775667001, received 2025-09-12, EIN 81-4653145, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.