Heartland Financial USA, Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Htlf Retirement Plan
Denver, COFinance & Insurance1,842 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,021Employer $ per active participant
$7,190Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$318.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$115,951Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity37.9 / 5076th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost22.0 / 2588th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.7 / 1551th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score78 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 76th |
| Lower admin cost | 88th |
| Employee saving | 51th |
| 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
- Heartland Financial USA put in about $6,021 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,606). 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 | $11,086,861 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $13,241,071 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,236,701 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $151,333 |
| Contract administrator fees | $149,994 |
| Other admin expenses | $105 |
| Benefits paid out | $53,292,678 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $303.8M / $318.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,000 / 1,683 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,744 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Eide Bailly |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| July Business Services | $151,333 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015185632NAL0005670305001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 42-1405748, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.