Mead Holding Company, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Mead Lumber 401k Plan
Columbus, NERetail Trade1,266 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$17Employer $ per active participant
$4,143Employee $ saved per active participant
0.32%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$53.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$44,246Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity3.1 / 506th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.7 / 2539th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.1 / 1568th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score20 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 6th |
| Lower admin cost | 39th |
| Employee saving | 68th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $3,562 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Mead Holding Company put in about $17 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.
- 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 | $21,548 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $5,243,285 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,521,278 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $161,826 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $74,966 |
| Benefits paid out | $7,727,653 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $48.9M / $53.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,392 / 1,139 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,199 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Eide Bailly, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $86,860 reported compensation |
| Prime Capital Investment Advisors | $74,966 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260821180912NAL0021986544001, received 2026-08-21, EIN 47-0362891, plan #001, plan year 2024-12-01 to 2025-11-30. Verify at efast.dol.gov.