The Shade Store, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
The Shade Store, LLC 401(k) Plan
Port Chester, NYRetail Trade1,475 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,518Employer $ per active participant
$3,121Employee $ saved per active participant
0.23%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$41.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$39,835Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity37.9 / 5076th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost12.5 / 2550th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.9 / 1553th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score58 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 76th |
| Lower admin cost | 50th |
| Employee saving | 53th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- Shade Store put in about $1,518 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($743). 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 | $2,239,580 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,603,243 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,101,342 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $85,024 |
| Contract administrator fees | $24,430 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $45,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $4,273,916 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $33.2M / $41.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,444 / 1,506 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,040 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Long & Associates, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Merrill Lynch | $45,000 reported compensation |
| Pasi, LLC | $24,430 reported compensation |
| John Hancock Life Insurance Company | $15,594 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015142458NAL0005123857001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 20-2342010, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.