Northtown Automotive Companies, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Northtown Automotive Companies, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Amherst, NYRetail Trade636 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,091Employer $ per active participant
$4,198Employee $ saved per active participant
0.17%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$58.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$124,522Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity32.4 / 5065th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.7 / 2559th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.4 / 1569th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score57 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 65th |
| Lower admin cost | 59th |
| Employee saving | 69th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $210,560 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Northtown Automotive Companies put in about $1,091 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($743). 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 | $693,146 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,668,010 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $75,064 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $95,690 |
| Contract administrator fees | $95,690 |
| Benefits paid out | $4,350,935 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $52.2M / $58.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 646 / 625 |
| Participants with account balances | 467 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Chiampou Travis Besaw & Kershner |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $95,690 reported compensation |
| MML Insurance Agency LLC | $544 reported compensation |
| Wilshire Advisors LLC | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250827070437NAL0018505314001, received 2025-08-27, EIN 16-0970381, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.