Howard County General Hospital, Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Howard County General Hospital, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Baltimore, MDHealth Care & Social Assistance1,928 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,617Employer $ per active participant
$5,592Employee $ saved per active participant
0.11%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$188.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$66,503Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity39.2 / 5078th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.2 / 2573th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.7 / 1585th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score77 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,427 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 78th |
| Lower admin cost | 73th |
| Employee saving | 85th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,235 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Howard County General Hospital put in about $2,617 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($976). 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 | $5,044,887 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,780,482 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,295,048 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $190,262 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $11,405 |
| Benefits paid out | $21,213,530 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $172.9M / $188.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,935 / 1,921 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,840 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | SB & Company, LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Transamerica Retirement Solutions | $168,147 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning, LLC | $11,405 reported compensation |
| SB & Co LLC | $10,710 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009112535NAL0011355120002, received 2025-10-09, EIN 52-2093120, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.