Ohio › Health care and social assistance › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2025
Carestar, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Sponsored by Carestar, Inc., Blue Ash, OH
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.
Carestar, Inc. of Blue Ash, Ohio sponsors Carestar, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan, an employee stock ownership plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2025 shows 725 participants (408 active) and $116M in net assets.
Net assets came to $123,989 per participant in plan year 2024, well above the $46,267 median for defined contribution plans with 500 to 999 participants and well above the $30,764 median for defined contribution plans in health care and social assistance. 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 $6.8M during the year, or $16,556 per active participant against a same-size median of $1,934; participants contributed —. Benefits paid out totalled $7.0M.
Schedule C lists 6 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $91K: $125 per participant, well above the same-size median of $113. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $91K. 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 $12.9M in 2009 to $116M in 2025 (up 799%), and participants from 456 to 725 (up 59%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure, plan year 2024 | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $123,989 | $46,267 | $30,764 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $15,680 | $1,934 | $1,536 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $237 | $113 | $93.85 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.19% | 0.25% | 0.31% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $237 | $109 | $86.53 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 500 to 999 participants (10,588 plans), health care and social assistance (9,402) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 725 | $116M | $159,708 | $6.8M | — | $91K |
| 2024 | 699 | $86.7M | $123,989 | $6.3M | — | $166K |
| 2023 | 668 | $77.8M | $116,449 | $6.2M | — | $59K |
| 2022 | 605 | $61.5M | $101,625 | $5.4M | — | $187K |
| 2021 | 590 | $64.3M | $109,027 | $4.3M | — | $75K |
| 2020 | 544 | $52.4M | $96,316 | $3.2M | — | $79K |
| 2019 | 550 | $38.3M | $69,613 | $2.5M | — | $82K |
| 2018 | 581 | $27.5M | $47,353 | $571K | — | $117K |
| 2017 | 605 | $19.3M | $31,970 | $500K | — | $108K |
| 2016 | 596 | $18.5M | $30,970 | $500K | — | $128K |
| 2015 | 593 | $18.2M | $30,658 | $600K | — | $74K |
| 2014 | 583 | $18.9M | $32,400 | $800K | — | $84K |
| 2013 | 584 | $20.6M | $35,313 | $1.0M | — | $67K |
| 2012 | 560 | $18.8M | $33,630 | $995K | — | $62K |
| 2011 | 515 | $17.4M | $33,701 | $945K | — | $152K |
| 2010 | 473 | $14.5M | $30,746 | $900K | — | $56K |
| 2009 | 456 | $12.9M | $28,246 | $900K | — | $22K |
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$86,667,987
- Employer contributions$6,754,843
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$6,754,843
- Total income, including investment results$36,181,872
- Benefits paid$6,970,949
- Administrative expenses$90,728
- Total expenses$7,061,677
- Net income$29,120,195
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$115,788,182
Participants
- Active participants408
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits112
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits197
- Participants with account balances710
- Total participants, end of year725
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transition Finance Strategies, LLC | Contract Administrator | $41,615 | $0 |
| Greatbanc | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $24,300 | $0 |
| Dean Dorton Allen PLLC | Accounting (including auditing) | $14,700 | $0 |
| Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | Investment management | $10,113 | $0 |
| Vonlehman & Company, Inc. | Accounting (including auditing) | $0 | $0 |
| Comstock Valuation Advisors | Valuation (appraisals, etc.) | $0 | $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
- Other administrative expenses$90,728
- Total administrative expenses$90,728
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.
- Employer securities$113M · 97.2%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$2.8M · 2.4%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$416K · 0.4%
- Receivables$1,097 · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmDean Dorton Allen Ford PLLC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $1,000,000
- 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
2IStock bonus2PLeveraged ESOP2QThe employer maintaining this ESOP is an S corporation3IPlan requiring that all or part of employer contributions be invested and held in employer securities
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 624100: Individual & Family Services.
Other plans of Carestar, Inc.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Carestar 401(k) Retirement Plan | 593 | $20.5M |
Similar plans in Ohio
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agilon Health Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Agilon Health Management Inc. | 732 | $37.4M | $51,154 |
| Edm Management, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Edm Management, Inc. | 722 | — | — |
| Muskingum Valley Health Center 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Muskingum Valley Health Center | 732 | $23.1M | $31,496 |
| Fulton County Health Center Employees' Pension Plan | Fulton County Health Center | 704 | $42.0M | $59,724 |
| The Eliza Jennings Senior Care Network Retirement Savings Plan | The Eliza Jennings Senior Care Network | 742 | $6.1M | $8,181 |
| Donald Martens and Sons Ambulance Services 401(k) Plan | Donald Martens and Sons Ambulance Services, Inc. | 675 | $4.3M | $6,385 |
Defined contribution plans in health care and social assistance closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Carestar, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan?
725 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2025, of whom 408 were active employees, with net assets of $115,788,182. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 500 to 999 participants band, which held 10,588 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Carestar, Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $6,754,843 in employer contributions for the year, which is $16,556 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $1,934 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 $90,728 in compensation to service provider organisations, $125 per participant or 0.08% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $113 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $90,728. 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 Carestar, Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: Transition Finance Strategies, LLC. Investment advisory or management: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.. Trustee or custodian: Greatbanc. The financial statements were audited by Dean Dorton Allen Ford PLLC. 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. 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 2025 to 31 Dec 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 22 Jul 2026. 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 31-1254105, plan 002, received 22 Jul 2026; 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.