Ats Operating, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
America's Thrift Store 401(k) Retirement Plan
Birmingham, ALRetail Trade1,302 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$47Employer $ per active participant
$337Employee $ saved per active participant
1.55%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$3.8MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity4.0 / 508th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost0.6 / 252th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.5 / 153th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score5 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 8th |
| Lower admin cost | 2th |
| Employee saving | 3th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $13,248 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ats Operating put in about $47 per active participant, below the typical peer ($743). 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 (1.55% 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 | $61,066 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $439,384 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $0 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $53,867 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $17,410 |
| Benefits paid out | $300,057 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $3.2M / $3.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,328 / 1,276 |
| Participants with account balances | 269 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Landmark PLC, CPA |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $31,457 reported compensation |
| Osaic Wealth Inc | $17,410 reported compensation |
| Landmark PLC Certified Public Accou | $5,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251001215128NAL0032558066001, received 2025-10-01, EIN 63-0889019, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.