Hallmark Cards, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Retail Service Group Savings Plan of Hallmark Cards, Incorporated
Kansas City, MOWholesale Trade3,916 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$151Employer $ per active participant
$601Employee $ saved per active participant
0.16%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$67.5MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity1.0 / 502th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost10.4 / 2542th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.4 / 153th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score12 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (103 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 2th |
| Lower admin cost | 42th |
| Employee saving | 3th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Hallmark Cards put in about $151 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.
- 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.
- 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 | $591,378 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,353,777 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $227,376 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $105,152 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $1,566 |
| Benefits paid out | $7,269,602 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $63.7M / $67.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,063 / 3,769 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,236 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Rubinbrown, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Ins Co of America | $64,990 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $45,202 reported compensation |
| State Street Bank & Trust | $19,019 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010155906NAL0008437729001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 44-0272180, plan #005, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.