GNC Holdings LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
GNC Live Well Later 401k Plan
Pittsburgh, PARetail Trade4,083 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$618Employer $ per active participant
$1,420Employee $ saved per active participant
0.28%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$123.8MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity24.2 / 5048th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.3 / 2525th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.5 / 1537th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score29 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (183 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 48th |
| Lower admin cost | 25th |
| Employee saving | 37th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
What to do if you're in this plan
- GNC Holdings put in about $618 per active participant, below the typical peer ($650). 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 (0.28% 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 | $2,523,405 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $5,797,120 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $228,183 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $337,449 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $200,649 |
| Benefits paid out | $17,345,184 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $117.6M / $123.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,729 / 3,437 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,650 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | S.R. Snodgrass, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $136,800 reported compensation |
| Aon Investments USA Inc | $115,368 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $85,280 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009101707NAL0003816339001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 85-3101739, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.