JC Licht, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
JC Licht 401(k) Plan
Addison, ILRetail Trade723 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$289Employer $ per active participant
$1,549Employee $ saved per active participant
0.71%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$11.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$16,278Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity10.9 / 5022th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.2 / 2513th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.8 / 1525th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score28 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 22th |
| Lower admin cost | 13th |
| Employee saving | 25th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- JC Licht put in about $289 per active participant, below the typical peer ($743). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- 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 (0.71% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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.
- 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 | $208,833 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,120,110 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $85,082 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $77,707 |
| Contract administrator fees | $77,707 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,315,337 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $10.3M / $11.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 749 / 697 |
| Participants with account balances | 713 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Axa Equitable Life Insurance Co | $95,570 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250917165507NAL0000697520001, received 2025-09-17, EIN 47-2174551, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.