Ex Nihilo Capital 401(k) Review & Grade
Ex Nihilo Capital 401(k) Plan
Blacksburg, VAFinance & Insurance516 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$293Employer $ per active participant
$393Employee $ saved per active participant
1.11%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$2,937Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity1.9 / 504th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost1.3 / 255th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.0 / 150th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-5 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score8 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 4th |
| Lower admin cost | 5th |
| Employee saving | 0th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
No fidelity bond: the plan reported it was not covered by a fidelity bond, which protects participants against theft.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ex Nihilo Capital put in about $293 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,606). 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 (1.11% 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 | $151,282 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $202,609 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $8,521 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $12,215 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $2,002 |
| Other admin expenses | $800 |
| Benefits paid out | $64,888 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $0 / $1.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 0 / 516 |
| Participants with account balances | 376 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Caron & Bletzer PLLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $9,413 reported compensation |
| Dunbar Associates LLC | $2,002 reported compensation |
| The Benefit Practice | $800 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014162109NAL0001644419001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 85-1951555, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.