Winking Lizard Tavern, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Winking Lizard Tavern, Inc. 401k Profit Sharing Plan & Trust
Bedford Heights, OHAccommodation & Food Services548 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$158Employer $ per active participant
$1,706Employee $ saved per active participant
0.98%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$9.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$13,741Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity17.4 / 5035th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost1.7 / 257th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.1 / 1581th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score41 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (458 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 35th |
| Lower admin cost | 7th |
| Employee saving | 81th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 17% |
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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
- Winking Lizard Tavern put in about $158 per active participant, below the typical peer ($266). 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 (0.98% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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 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 | $86,262 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $934,301 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $0 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $84,209 |
| Contract administrator fees | $45,748 |
| Benefits paid out | $602,673 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $8.0M / $9.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 550 / 545 |
| Participants with account balances | 668 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cbiz Cpas PC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Ascensus | $38,461 reported compensation |
| Winking Lizard Inc | $29,937 reported compensation |
| Trinity Pension Consultants, Inc | $15,811 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250923110856NAL0007898435001, received 2025-09-23, EIN 34-1675347, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.