MLH Mso Holdco, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Ethos, LLC Retirement Savings Plan
Philadelphia, PARetail Trade566 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500-SF filing · How we grade
$604Employer $ per active participant
$1,121Employee $ saved per active participant
1.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.4MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity21.4 / 5043th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost1.4 / 256th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.7 / 1518th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-5 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score23 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 43th |
| Lower admin cost | 6th |
| Employee saving | 18th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
No fidelity bond: the plan reported it was not covered by a fidelity bond, which protects participants against theft.
What to do if you're in this plan
- MLH Mso Holdco put in about $604 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 (1.06% 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.
- 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 | $341,967 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $634,420 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $104,274 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $19,815 |
| Benefits paid out | $162,943 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.3M / $2.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 562 / 570 |
| Participants with account balances | 157 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500-SF filing, acknowledgment ID 20251222101247NAL0009613265001, received 2025-12-22, EIN 84-3196310, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.