CH Employees, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Charlestowne Hotels, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Mount Pleasant, SCAccommodation & Food Services1,407 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$222Employer $ per active participant
$725Employee $ saved per active participant
1.31%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$5.4MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity22.1 / 5044th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost0.9 / 254th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.9 / 1546th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score20 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (458 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 44th |
| Lower admin cost | 4th |
| Employee saving | 46th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 17% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($21,288 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $179,021 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- CH Employees put in about $222 per active participant, below the typical peer ($266). 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 (1.31% 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.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $313,017 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,019,385 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $611,107 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $56,302 |
| Contract administrator fees | $5,160 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $24,416 |
| Benefits paid out | $244,996 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $3.3M / $5.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,512 / 1,302 |
| Participants with account balances | 292 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Dcpas, LLC DBA Davis & Company Cpas |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| John Hancock Life Insurance Company | $35,168 reported compensation |
| Osaaic Wealth, Inc. | $23,146 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251002080145NAL0000310784001, received 2025-10-02, EIN 81-0870005, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.