The Emmes Company, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
The Emmes Company, LLC Retirement Plan
Rockville, MDProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services916 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$5,474Employer $ per active participant
$11,045Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$195.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$163,957Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity38.2 / 5076th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.9 / 2583th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.1 / 1567th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score76 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 76th |
| Lower admin cost | 83th |
| Employee saving | 67th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $38,618 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Emmes Company put in about $5,474 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,082). 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.
- 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 | $5,011,743 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,111,382 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,717,582 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $119,796 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $58,200 |
| Benefits paid out | $27,784,045 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $182.9M / $195.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,007 / 824 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,195 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Mma Securities LLC | $58,200 reported compensation |
| LLP Grant Thornton | $29,035 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $28,826 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010153301NAL0004375763001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 54-1058268, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.