Acara Solutions, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Aleron 401(k) Savings and Retirement Plan
Williamsville, NYAdministrative, Support & Staffing Services3,236 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$25Employer $ per active participant
$728Employee $ saved per active participant
0.42%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$24.6MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity8.5 / 5017th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.9 / 2516th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.4 / 1536th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score18 / 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 | 17th |
| Lower admin cost | 16th |
| Employee saving | 36th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 22% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $169,011 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Acara Solutions put in about $25 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 (0.42% 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.
- 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 | $81,562 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,355,753 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $844,543 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $103,505 |
| Contract administrator fees | $103,505 |
| Benefits paid out | $6,827,974 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $24.6M / $24.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,397 / 3,076 |
| Participants with account balances | 573 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Freed Maxick P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $103,505 reported compensation |
| Global Retirement Partners LLC | $20,925 reported compensation |
| Wellth Advisory Services, LLC | $6,975 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251003124810NAL0001396561001, received 2025-10-03, EIN 16-0852507, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.