The Circle K Retirement Plan 401(k) Review & Grade
Circle K Retirement Plan
Tempe, AZRetail Trade71,082 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$109Employer $ per active participant
$375Employee $ saved per active participant
0.23%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$505.9MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity2.0 / 504th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.4 / 2514th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.5 / 153th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score0 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 4th |
| Lower admin cost | 14th |
| Employee saving | 3th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($1,854,794 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Circle K Retirement Plan put in about $109 per active participant, below the typical peer ($689). 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 (0.23% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). 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.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $7,741,307 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $26,663,614 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,570,270 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,153,497 |
| Contract administrator fees | $622,280 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $470,600 |
| Other admin expenses | $60,617 |
| Benefits paid out | $59,389,502 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $478.8M / $505.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 68,953 / 73,210 |
| Participants with account balances | 10,121 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Voya Institutional Plan Services | $505,590 reported compensation |
| Voya Retirement Advisors | $384,362 reported compensation |
| Captrust Financial Advisors | $86,238 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015153611NAL0002680307001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 74-1149540, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.