Mercalis Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Mercalis Inc. 401(k) Profit Plan and Trust
Morrisville, NCManagement of Companies1,266 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,368Employer $ per active participant
$5,078Employee $ saved per active participant
0.34%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$69.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$45,875Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity29.8 / 5060th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.0 / 2536th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.3 / 1542th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score55 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Management of Companies plans with 500–2,499 active participants (172 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 60th |
| Lower admin cost | 36th |
| Employee saving | 42th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 58% |
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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
- Mercalis put in about $3,368 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,492). 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.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- 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 | $4,263,815 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $6,428,758 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $950,668 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $211,846 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $77,488 |
| Other admin expenses | $48,816 |
| Benefits paid out | $5,052,003 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $54.8M / $69.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,223 / 1,309 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,508 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Eisneramper LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $66,242 reported compensation |
| PNC Bank NA | $39,000 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $38,488 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015072022NAL0001965395001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 52-2251120, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.