Clarkson Eyecare, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Eyecare Partners 401(k) Plan
Ballwin, MORetail Trade7,820 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,244Employer $ per active participant
$4,093Employee $ saved per active participant
0.14%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$511.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$81,377Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity36.8 / 5074th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost11.6 / 2546th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.8 / 1579th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score67 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (183 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 74th |
| Lower admin cost | 46th |
| Employee saving | 79th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,189,537 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Clarkson Eyecare put in about $1,244 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($650). 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.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- 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 | $9,729,339 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $32,006,817 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,553,567 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $668,588 |
| Other admin expenses | $668,588 |
| Benefits paid out | $46,691,007 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $454.9M / $511.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 7,864 / 7,775 |
| Participants with account balances | 6,289 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Armanino LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $510,781 reported compensation |
| Ai Capital Management LLC | $182,588 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning | $140,660 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015082413NAL0005520192001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 43-1213749, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.