Herschend Entertainment Company LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Herschend Family Entertainment Profit Sharing & 401(k) Plan
Branson, MOArts, Entertainment & Recreation4,410 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,022Employer $ per active participant
$1,932Employee $ saved per active participant
0.24%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$159.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$25,717Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity39.7 / 5079th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.3 / 2529th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.9 / 1532th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score55 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (35 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 79th |
| Lower admin cost | 29th |
| Employee saving | 32th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 43% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
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
- Herschend Entertainment Company put in about $2,022 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,107). 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 (0.24% 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 | $8,916,847 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,520,376 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $379,981 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $350,215 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $51,981 |
| Benefits paid out | $11,511,461 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $135.6M / $159.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,085 / 5,734 |
| Participants with account balances | 6,193 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Transamerica Retirement Solutions | $278,022 reported compensation |
| Sageview Advisory Group, LLC | $51,981 reported compensation |
| Forvis Mazars, LLP | $20,212 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250908103754NAL0011881267001, received 2025-09-08, EIN 46-3014631, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.