Penney Opco, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. Safe Harbor 401(k) Savings Plan
Plano, TXRetail Trade44,135 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$776Employer $ per active participant
$1,318Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.2BNet plan assets, end of year
$59,151Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity28.0 / 5056th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost16.1 / 2564th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.4 / 1536th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score53 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 56th |
| Lower admin cost | 64th |
| Employee saving | 36th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Penney Opco put in about $776 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($689). 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 | $34,264,000 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $58,189,000 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | – |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,270,000 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $1,270,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $197,867,000 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.1B / $2.2B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 44,782 / 43,488 |
| Participants with account balances | 36,683 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Alight Financial Advisors, LLC | $1,270,000 reported compensation |
| Pershing LLC | $22,727 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009120010NAL0003886387001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 85-3718114, plan #006, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.