Marketing Alliance Group, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Marketing Alliance Group 401k Retirement Plan
Dalton, GAManufacturing1,044 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$574Employer $ per active participant
$2,084Employee $ saved per active participant
0.46%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$21.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$20,482Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity4.1 / 508th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.5 / 2526th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.9 / 1513th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score20 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 8th |
| Lower admin cost | 26th |
| Employee saving | 13th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $125,349 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Marketing Alliance Group put in about $574 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). 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 (0.46% 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 | $599,622 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,175,539 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $373,931 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $91,022 |
| Contract administrator fees | $91,022 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,299,900 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $18.3M / $21.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,057 / 1,031 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,058 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Estes & Walcott |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $93,630 reported compensation |
| Osaic Wealth Inc | $14,026 reported compensation |
| Erisa Services Inc | $7,127 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013162026NAL0000825443001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 58-2201082, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.