Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. Retirement and Savings Plan
Vance, ALManufacturing6,137 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$7,550Employer $ per active participant
$6,142Employee $ saved per active participant
0.12%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.2BNet plan assets, end of year
$175,926Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity43.6 / 5087th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost12.4 / 2550th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.6 / 1551th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score74 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 87th |
| Lower admin cost | 50th |
| Employee saving | 51th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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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
- Mercedes-Benz U.S. International put in about $7,550 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,452). 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 | $46,333,798 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $37,692,760 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,149,606 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,436,818 |
| Contract administrator fees | $264,475 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $309,411 |
| Other admin expenses | $108,967 |
| Benefits paid out | $90,870,183 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.1B / $1.2B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 6,167 / 6,107 |
| Participants with account balances | 7,015 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Warren Averett, LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Voya Institutional Plan Services | $607,528 reported compensation |
| Voya Retirement Advisors, LLC | $302,413 reported compensation |
| R.V. Kuhns & Associates, Inc. | $108,967 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015185939NAL0002891635001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 36-3879353, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.