Aesop Intermediate, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Aesop Intermediate, LLC 401(k) Plan
Kansas City, MOProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services660 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$755Employer $ per active participant
$2,052Employee $ saved per active participant
0.55%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$6.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$18,498Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity8.3 / 5017th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost5.0 / 2520th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.6 / 1510th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score18 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 17th |
| Lower admin cost | 20th |
| Employee saving | 10th |
| 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
- Aesop Intermediate put in about $755 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,082). 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 (0.55% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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 | $498,502 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,355,380 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $223,602 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $31,796 |
| Contract administrator fees | $31,796 |
| Benefits paid out | $903,713 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $4.8M / $6.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 681 / 640 |
| Participants with account balances | 363 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Mize Cpas Inc |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Nova 401(k) Associates | $7,773 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009144420NAL0011681616015, received 2025-10-09, EIN 86-2121661, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.