Media News Group, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Media News Group Retirement/savings Plan
Denver, COInformation2,664 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$54Employer $ per active participant
$3,905Employee $ saved per active participant
0.09%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$334.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$87,836Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity3.4 / 507th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.0 / 2560th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.3 / 158th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score27 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (60 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 7th |
| Lower admin cost | 60th |
| Employee saving | 8th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 63% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Media News Group put in about $54 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,691). 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 | $144,389 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,403,490 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,550,528 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $301,940 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $68,425 |
| Other admin expenses | $26,402 |
| Benefits paid out | $49,874,418 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $327.8M / $334.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,680 / 2,648 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,812 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $218,342 reported compensation |
| Bryan Cave LLP | $49,993 reported compensation |
| Innovest Portfolio Solutions LLC | $40,600 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014121805NAL0003910064001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 76-0425553, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.