Education & Training Resources 401(k) Review & Grade
Education & Training Resources, LLC 401k Plan
Bowling Green, KYEducational Services840 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$430Employer $ per active participant
$2,213Employee $ saved per active participant
0.83%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$11.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$6,314Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity7.7 / 5015th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.4 / 259th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.7 / 1538th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score23 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Educational Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (144 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 15th |
| Lower admin cost | 9th |
| Employee saving | 38th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $9,851 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Education & Training Resources put in about $430 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,225). 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 (0.83% 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 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 | $361,099 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,858,037 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $88,689 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $86,590 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $10,250 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,351,796 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $9.5M / $11.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 825 / 854 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,809 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Lbmc PC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith | $91,239 reported compensation |
| Adp, Inc. | $76,340 reported compensation |
| Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Crain, P | $10,250 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251003054427NAL0000667331001, received 2025-10-03, EIN 61-1242482, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.