Cook & Boardman Group, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
The Cook & Boardman Group, LLC 401(k) Plan
Winston Salem, NCWholesale Trade2,521 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,974Employer $ per active participant
$4,792Employee $ saved per active participant
0.25%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$120.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$57,993Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity20.1 / 5040th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.1 / 2528th 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 score33 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (103 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 40th |
| Lower admin cost | 28th |
| Employee saving | 36th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $17,133 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Cook & Boardman Group put in about $1,974 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,459). 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 (0.25% 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 | $4,977,055 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $12,080,937 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $17,279,641 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $259,593 |
| Contract administrator fees | $27,651 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $92,937 |
| Benefits paid out | $16,752,069 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $90.9M / $120.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,109 / 2,933 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,071 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Butler and Burke LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Workplace Services, LLC | $166,656 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $47,487 reported compensation |
| Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC | $45,450 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250811083432NAL0007036881001, received 2025-08-11, EIN 27-2424824, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.