Merchants Automotive Group, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Merchants Automotive Group, LLC 401(k) Plan
Hooksett, NHReal Estate & Rental624 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,989Employer $ per active participant
$9,848Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$65.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$79,751Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity46.2 / 5092th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.6 / 2586th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.0 / 1593th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score89 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Real Estate & Rental plans with 500–2,499 active participants (291 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 92th |
| Lower admin cost | 86th |
| Employee saving | 93th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $22,603 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Merchants Automotive Group put in about $4,989 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,279). 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 | $3,115,469 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $6,150,374 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,343,937 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $33,477 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $24,861 |
| Benefits paid out | $12,972,911 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $59.4M / $65.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 682 / 567 |
| Participants with account balances | 826 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | The Johnson Group, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $24,861 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $8,616 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250805121840NAL0002183011001, received 2025-08-05, EIN 02-0270756, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.