Howard Sheppard, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Howard Sheppard, LLC 401(k) Plan
Sandersville, GATransportation & Warehousing520 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$661Employer $ per active participant
$1,672Employee $ saved per active participant
0.38%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$10.5MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity17.0 / 5034th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.1 / 2532th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.8 / 1526th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score19 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 34th |
| Lower admin cost | 32th |
| Employee saving | 26th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($168 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $44,669 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Howard Sheppard put in about $661 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,070). 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 (0.38% 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 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 | $344,079 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $870,440 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $46,244 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $40,414 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $31,586 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,648,137 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $10.7M / $10.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 523 / 518 |
| Participants with account balances | 231 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly, US, LP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Rockefeller Capital Management | $31,586 reported compensation |
| Sentinel Benefits Group, LLC | $8,828 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250923085113NAL0014359426001, received 2025-09-23, EIN 88-4056071, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.