Kirkland's Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Kirkland's, Inc. Retirement Plan
Brentwood, TNRetail Trade3,834 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$266Employer $ per active participant
$608Employee $ saved per active participant
0.26%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$35.2MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity10.2 / 5020th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.6 / 2527th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.2 / 158th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score21 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (183 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 20th |
| Lower admin cost | 27th |
| Employee saving | 8th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
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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
- Kirkland's put in about $266 per active participant, below the typical peer ($650). 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 (0.26% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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.
- 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 | $1,018,238 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,329,639 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $54,498 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $87,454 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $59,035 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,192,965 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $31.1M / $35.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,877 / 4,791 |
| Participants with account balances | 737 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Lbmc, PC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Creative Planning LLC | $37,691 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $28,419 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $21,344 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010095301NAL0012261680001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 62-1287151, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.