New Jersey › Manufacturing › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Mars Deferred Compensation Plan
Sponsored by Mars, Incorporated, Hackettstown, NJ
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
Mars Deferred Compensation Plan is a 401(k) plan sponsored by Mars, Incorporated of Hackettstown, New Jersey. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 1,877 participants, 590 of them active, and net assets of $598M.
Net assets came to $318,798 per participant, well above the $50,295 median for defined contribution plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well above the $62,303 median for defined contribution plans in manufacturing. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
The employer contributed $0 during the year, or $0 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,045; participants contributed $6.2M. Benefits paid out totalled $79.5M.
Schedule C lists 3 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $207K: $110 per participant, well above the same-size median of $82.08. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $194K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $781M in 2009 to $598M in 2024 (down 23%), and participants from 4,764 to 1,877 (down 61%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $318,798 | $50,295 | $62,303 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $0 | $2,045 | $2,187 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $110 | $82.08 | $136 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.04% | 0.17% | 0.24% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $103 | $82.20 | $131 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (10,207 plans), manufacturing (11,377) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,877 | $598M | $318,798 | $0 | $6.2M | $207K |
| 2023 | 1,985 | $612M | $308,307 | $0 | $5.8M | $208K |
| 2022 | 1,925 | $607M | $315,456 | $0 | $6.2M | $288K |
| 2021 | 2,105 | $805M | $382,529 | $0 | $7.0M | $335K |
| 2020 | 2,363 | $820M | $346,821 | $0 | $9.3M | $327K |
| 2019 | 2,494 | $792M | $317,756 | $0 | $9.6M | $357K |
| 2018 | 2,822 | $771M | $273,068 | $15K | $10.8M | $434K |
| 2017 | 2,985 | $859M | $287,606 | — | $11.9M | $395K |
| 2016 | 3,079 | $799M | $259,644 | — | $12.4M | $378K |
| 2015 | 3,175 | $797M | $250,918 | — | $12.8M | $243K |
| 2014 | 3,357 | $844M | $251,273 | — | $14.3M | $310K |
| 2013 | 3,622 | $847M | $233,948 | — | $16.7M | $296K |
| 2012 | 3,866 | $799M | $206,571 | — | $17.1M | $264K |
| 2011 | 4,114 | $773M | $187,929 | — | $19.0M | $271K |
| 2010 | 4,389 | $814M | $185,377 | — | $22.7M | $260K |
| 2009 | 4,764 | $781M | $164,018 | $12.1M | $14.4M | $250K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$611,989,663
- Employer contributions$0
- Participant contributions$6,213,221
- Rollovers and other contributions$0
- Total contributions$6,213,221
- Total income, including investment results$65,283,638
- Benefits paid$79,526,611
- Administrative expenses$193,674
- Total expenses$79,752,278
- Net income−$14,468,640
- Net transfers$863,409
- Net assets, end of year$598,384,432
Participants
- Active participants590
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits367
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits907
- Participants with account balances1,750
- Total participants, end of year1,877
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | Investment advisory (plan) | $191,277 | $0 |
| Willis Towers Watson US LLC | Consulting (general) | $10,000 | $0 |
| LCG Associates Inc. | Investment advisory (plan) | $5,629 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Investment advisory and management fees$191,228
- Other administrative expenses$15,629
- Total administrative expenses$193,674
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Master trust investment accounts$596M · 99.6%
- Participant loans$2.3M · 0.4%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmPricewaterhouseCoopers
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateYes, $31,230
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $35,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2EProfit-sharing plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2RParticipant-directed brokerage accounts provided as an investment option under the plan2S401(k) plan or 403(b) plan that provides for automatic enrollment2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3FPlan sponsor(s) received services of leased employees3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group3JU.S.-based plan that covers residents of Puerto Rico and is qualified under both codes
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 311300: Sugar & Confectionary Product Mfg.
Other plans of Mars, Incorporated
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Mars Veterinary Health 401(k) Savings Plan | 66,642 | $2.56B |
| U. S. Retirement Plan | 26,885 | $5.09B |
| U.S. Associate Savings Plan | 20,530 | $3.38B |
| U.S. Associate Savings Advantage Plan | 1,242 | $22.7M |
Similar plans in New Jersey
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advansix Inc. Savings Plan | Advansix Inc. | 2,008 | $173M | $86,189 |
| Beverage Distribution Savings Plan | Beverage Distribution Center, Inc. | 1,822 | $206M | $112,891 |
| Conair LLC Savings and Investment Plan | Conair LLC | 2,025 | $303M | $149,541 |
| The Hain Celestial Group 401(k) Plan | The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. | 1,784 | $98.7M | $55,349 |
| Organon U.S. Savings Plan | Organon LLC | 2,033 | $420M | $206,498 |
| Sandoz Inc. Investment Savings Plan | Sandoz Inc. | 1,777 | $588M | $330,870 |
Defined contribution plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Mars Deferred Compensation Plan?
1,877 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 590 were active employees, with net assets of $598,384,432. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 10,207 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Mars, Incorporated contribute per participant?
The filing reports $0 in employer contributions for the year, which is $0 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,045 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $206,906 in compensation to service provider organisations, $110 per participant or 0.04% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $82.08 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $193,674. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Mars, Incorporated. Investment advisory or management: Strategic Advisors, Inc. and LCG Associates Inc.. The financial statements were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 2 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 22-1594774, plan 003, received 2 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.