Piedmont Airlines, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Piedmont Airlines Inc. Employee Savings Plan
Salisbury, MDTransportation & Warehousing20,130 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$296Employer $ per active participant
$612Employee $ saved per active participant
0.19%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$225.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$16,423Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity6.7 / 5013th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.8 / 2519th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.3 / 159th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score6 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 10,000+ active participants (46 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 13th |
| Lower admin cost | 19th |
| Employee saving | 9th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 30% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Piedmont Airlines put in about $296 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,415). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.19% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). 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 | $5,967,746 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $12,325,173 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,075,586 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $395,969 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $182,425 |
| Benefits paid out | $16,292,957 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $190.9M / $225.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 18,434 / 21,826 |
| Participants with account balances | 13,730 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Cbiz Cpas P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $213,544 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $182,425 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014144753NAL0004278352001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 52-0970090, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.