NRG Affiliate Services, Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
NRG Affiliates Employee Savings Plan
Princeton, NJUtilities9,110 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$5,230Employer $ per active participant
$7,679Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.3BNet plan assets, end of year
$163,784Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity17.6 / 5035th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost22.0 / 2588th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.8 / 1519th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score32 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Utilities plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (38 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 35th |
| Lower admin cost | 88th |
| Employee saving | 19th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 82% |
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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 $11,854 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- NRG Affiliate Services put in about $5,230 per active participant, below the typical peer ($6,490). 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.
- 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 | $47,651,390 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $69,963,141 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $8,007,057 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $736,225 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $205,427 |
| Other admin expenses | $171,656 |
| Benefits paid out | $215,436,644 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.0B / $2.3B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 6,476 / 11,745 |
| Participants with account balances | 14,204 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Warren Averett LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $359,142 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $205,427 reported compensation |
| Newport Capital Group,llc | $150,906 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013133533NAL0001345281001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 41-1960764, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.