Populus Group LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Populus Group, LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust
Troy, MIAdministrative, Support & Staffing Services5,638 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$74Employer $ per active participant
$4,783Employee $ saved per active participant
0.56%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$124.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$18,574Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity15.7 / 5031th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.7 / 2511th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.7 / 1585th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score28 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Administrative, Support & Staffing Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (125 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 31th |
| Lower admin cost | 11th |
| Employee saving | 85th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 22% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($736 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $20,339 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Populus Group put in about $74 per active participant, below the typical peer ($342). 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 (0.56% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $417,059 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $26,966,498 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,890,541 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $654,175 |
| Contract administrator fees | $474,187 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $171,063 |
| Benefits paid out | $28,912,738 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $109.3M / $124.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 5,358 / 5,917 |
| Participants with account balances | 6,706 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $474,187 reported compensation |
| Capfinancial Partners | $163,341 reported compensation |
| Cliftonlarsonallen LLP | $8,925 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250903113022NAL0015320945001, received 2025-09-03, EIN 38-3659021, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.