Merit Energy Company, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Merit Energy Company Savings Trust
Dallas, TXMining, Oil & Gas864 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$12,004Employer $ per active participant
$13,288Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$277.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$255,585Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity44.1 / 5088th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.4 / 2593th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.5 / 1590th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score84 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Mining, Oil & Gas plans with 500–2,499 active participants (129 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 88th |
| Lower admin cost | 93th |
| Employee saving | 90th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 60% |
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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
- Merit Energy Company put in about $12,004 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($4,357). 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.
- 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 | $10,365,421 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $11,473,866 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,253,966 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $69,571 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,200 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $83,158 |
| Benefits paid out | $18,014,084 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $232.8M / $277.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 847 / 880 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,085 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $83,158 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | −$13,587 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250730130536NAL0002384899001, received 2025-07-30, EIN 75-2280562, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.