Pathways Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Pathways, Incorporated Employees' Retirement Plan
Corning, NYHealth Care & Social Assistance508 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,899Employer $ per active participant
$947Employee $ saved per active participant
0.63%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$18.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$39,251Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity34.7 / 5069th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.0 / 2516th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.1 / 1520th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score42 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,427 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 69th |
| Lower admin cost | 16th |
| Employee saving | 20th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,837 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Pathways put in about $1,899 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($976). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.63% 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 | $963,878 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $480,658 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $59,214 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $111,211 |
| Contract administrator fees | $14,678 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $33,669 |
| Other admin expenses | $330 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,451,977 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $17.1M / $18.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 519 / 496 |
| Participants with account balances | 463 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Mengel Metzger Barr and Co. LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| LPL Financial LLC - Rpcp | $21,136 reported compensation |
| John Hancock Life Ins Company of Ny | $9,270 reported compensation |
| Citizens & Northern Bank | $8,417 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250804083655NAL0002381410001, received 2025-08-04, EIN 16-1089007, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.