Hallmark Cards, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Hallmark Affiliates Employee Savings Plan
Kansas City, MOWholesale Trade2,378 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,796Employer $ per active participant
$5,647Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$442.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$144,792Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity44.2 / 5088th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.2 / 2581th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.5 / 1563th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score81 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (603 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 88th |
| Lower admin cost | 81th |
| Employee saving | 63th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 53% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,583 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Hallmark Cards put in about $4,796 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,792). 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 | $11,403,847 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $13,429,170 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,616,684 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $309,322 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $10,175 |
| Benefits paid out | $49,981,145 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $413.5M / $442.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,453 / 2,303 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,059 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Rubinbrown, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $233,744 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Ins Co of America | $166,784 reported compensation |
| State Street Bank & Trust | $123,206 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010155703NAL0004391875001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 44-0272180, plan #006, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.