Franchise Group, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Franchise Group, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Delaware, OHRetail Trade12,502 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$0Employer $ per active participant
$732Employee $ saved per active participant
0.22%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$148.6MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity0.0 / 500th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.6 / 2514th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.1 / 1514th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score0 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 0th |
| Lower admin cost | 14th |
| Employee saving | 14th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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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 ($300,063 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- This plan reported $0 in employer contributions for 2024. Some employers put their money into a separate plan, so check any other plans listed below and ask HR. If there really is no company money, you still get the tax break. Compare the plan's fees and funds with an IRA before deciding where your next dollar goes.
- 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 (0.22% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). 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 | $0 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $9,146,738 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $785,676 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $340,395 |
| Contract administrator fees | $600 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $66,762 |
| Other admin expenses | $57,097 |
| Benefits paid out | $37,618,521 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $158.2M / $148.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 11,705 / 13,300 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,075 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Caron and Bletzer PLLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $198,036 reported compensation |
| Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC | $66,762 reported compensation |
| Caron & Bletzer PLLC | $18,500 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250730143807NAL0010640642001, received 2025-07-30, EIN 27-3561876, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.