Pafford Medical Services, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Pafford Medical Services 401(k) Plan
Hope, ARHealth Care & Social Assistance1,288 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$211Employer $ per active participant
$572Employee $ saved per active participant
0.18%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$5.7MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity10.9 / 5022th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.2 / 2557th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.9 / 1513th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score17 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,427 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 22th |
| Lower admin cost | 57th |
| Employee saving | 13th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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Red flags from the filing
Auditor disclaimer: the auditor issued a disclaimer of opinion.
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
- Pafford Medical Services put in about $211 per active participant, below the typical peer ($976). 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 | $271,141 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $736,671 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | – |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $9,482 |
| Benefits paid out | $568,370 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $4.6M / $5.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,021 / 1,554 |
| Participants with account balances | 348 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | TBD |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015143551NAL0004853105001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 71-0827582, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.