Ta Operating LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Ta Operating LLC 401(k) Savings Plan
Westlake, OHRetail Trade16,260 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$136Employer $ per active participant
$1,335Employee $ saved per active participant
0.44%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$183.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$10,561Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity3.3 / 507th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost1.1 / 255th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.6 / 1537th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score17 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 7th |
| Lower admin cost | 5th |
| Employee saving | 37th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $23,030 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ta Operating put in about $136 per active participant, below the typical peer ($689). 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 (0.44% 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.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- 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 | $2,204,153 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $21,708,734 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,279,581 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $776,582 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $68,431 |
| Benefits paid out | $33,148,912 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $170.3M / $183.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 17,424 / 15,096 |
| Participants with account balances | 17,337 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Ciuni & Panichi |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $689,227 reported compensation |
| Raymond James | $68,431 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251008120004NAL0002977267001, received 2025-10-08, EIN 34-1747077, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.