Hallmark Cards, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Business Performance Savings Plan of Hallmark Cards, Incorporated
Kansas City, MOWholesale Trade5,022 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,441Employer $ per active participant
$6,433Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.0BNet plan assets, end of year
$252,720Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity39.2 / 5078th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.4 / 2578th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.6 / 1571th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score79 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (103 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 78th |
| Lower admin cost | 78th |
| Employee saving | 71th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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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
- Hallmark Cards put in about $4,441 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,459). 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.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- 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 | $22,300,638 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $32,308,943 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,593,304 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,058,887 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $49,306 |
| Benefits paid out | $331,191,446 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.1B / $2.0B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 5,031 / 5,013 |
| Participants with account balances | 7,951 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Rubin Brown LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $1,013,116 reported compensation |
| State Street Bank & Trust | $612,821 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Ins Co of America | $420,919 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010155430NAL0004390099001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 44-0272180, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.