Marken LLP 401(k) Review & Grade
The Marken 401k Plan
Durham, NCTransportation & Warehousing714 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,491Employer $ per active participant
$3,388Employee $ saved per active participant
0.11%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$23.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$53,741Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity30.8 / 5062th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.7 / 2571th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.3 / 1555th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score60 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 62th |
| Lower admin cost | 71th |
| Employee saving | 55th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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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
- Marken LLP put in about $1,491 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,070). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- 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 | $1,065,206 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,420,731 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $567,170 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $24,096 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $8,001 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,322,383 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $19.0M / $23.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 771 / 658 |
| Participants with account balances | 434 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Crowe LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $16,095 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $8,001 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014095300NAL0001190931001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 38-3855670, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.