Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise 401(k) Review & Grade
Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise 401(k) Savings Plan
Cherokee, NCAccommodation & Food Services3,597 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,228Employer $ per active participant
$3,158Employee $ saved per active participant
0.33%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$159.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$35,045Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity49.5 / 5099th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost5.0 / 2520th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.1 / 1594th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score79 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (104 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 99th |
| Lower admin cost | 20th |
| Employee saving | 94th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 15% |
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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
- Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise put in about $2,228 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($244). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.33% 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.
- 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 | $8,015,350 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $11,357,657 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $437,957 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $498,821 |
| Contract administrator fees | $427,406 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $61,515 |
| Benefits paid out | $19,362,412 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $142.0M / $159.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,766 / 3,428 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,539 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Lincoln National Corporation | $427,406 reported compensation |
| Usi Advisors | $61,515 reported compensation |
| Forvis LLP | $9,900 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013134639NAL0003056322001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 56-1972062, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.