Ohio › Information › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Highlights Family of Companies Retirement Plan
Sponsored by Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, 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.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, Highlights Family of Companies Retirement Plan covered 667 participants and held $73.3M in net assets. The plan is a 401(k) plan sponsored by Highlights for Children, Inc. of Columbus, Ohio.
Net assets came to $109,965 per participant, well above the $46,267 median for defined contribution plans with 500 to 999 participants and well above the $67,311 median for defined contribution plans in information. 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 $1.6M during the year, or $3,963 per active participant against a same-size median of $1,934; participants contributed $4.1M and $1.9M arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $12.1M.
Schedule C lists 3 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $72K: $109 per participant, close to the same-size median of $113. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $89K. 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 $40.7M in 2009 to $73.3M in 2024 (up 80%), and participants from 764 to 667 (down 13%).
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 | $109,965 | $46,267 | $67,311 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $3,963 | $1,934 | $2,928 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $109 | $113 | $121 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.10% | 0.25% | 0.19% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $133 | $109 | $116 | $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), information (1,830) 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 | 667 | $73.3M | $109,964 | $1.6M | $4.1M | $72K |
| 2023 | 682 | $69.2M | $101,408 | $1.7M | $4.2M | $80K |
| 2022 | 697 | $65.7M | $94,326 | $1.7M | $4.1M | $103K |
| 2021 | 652 | $80.1M | $122,906 | $1.5M | $3.7M | $91K |
| 2020 | 642 | $70.8M | $110,268 | $1.4M | $3.4M | $40K |
| 2019 | 673 | $68.2M | $101,267 | $1.5M | $3.5M | $50K |
| 2018 | 670 | $61.4M | $91,622 | $1.4M | $3.4M | $40K |
| 2017 | 704 | $68.4M | $97,172 | $1.5M | $3.2M | $51K |
| 2016 | 703 | $59.6M | $84,839 | $1.4M | $3.1M | $20K |
| 2015 | 757 | $56.6M | $74,816 | $1.4M | $3.0M | $0 |
| 2014 | 690 | $57.0M | $82,664 | $1.1M | $2.3M | $0 |
| 2013 | 709 | $57.2M | $80,629 | $1.3M | $2.9M | $0 |
| 2012 | 708 | $51.7M | $73,079 | $1.3M | $2.7M | $0 |
| 2011 | 743 | $47.7M | $64,159 | $1.9M | $2.5M | $2,000 |
| 2010 | 780 | $47.0M | $60,217 | $1.5M | $2.1M | $1,000 |
| 2009 | 764 | $40.7M | $53,330 | $1.3M | $1.7M | $11K |
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$69,159,532
- Employer contributions$1,628,802
- Participant contributions$4,134,809
- Rollovers and other contributions$1,851,068
- Total contributions$7,614,679
- Total income, including investment results$16,414,424
- Benefits paid$12,138,831
- Administrative expenses$88,646
- Total expenses$12,227,477
- Net income$4,186,947
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$73,346,479
Participants
- Active participants411
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits9
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits246
- Participants with account balances661
- Total participants, end of year667
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | Sub-transfer agency fees; Recordkeeping fees; Account maintenance fees | $32,396 | $0 |
| Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC | Investment advisory (participants) | $30,000 | $0 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Banking Oper | Investment advisory (plan) | $10,000 | $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$40,000
- Recordkeeping fees$32,396
- IQPA audit fees$16,250
- Total administrative expenses$88,646
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.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$71.6M · 97.7%
- Pooled separate accounts$1.6M · 2.2%
- Receivables$86K · 0.1%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmClark Schaefer Hackett & Co.
- 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
2EProfit-sharing plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2S401(k) plan or 403(b) plan that provides for automatic enrollment2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3DPre-approved pension plan3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 511120: Periodical Publishers.
Similar plans in Ohio
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oeconnection 401(k) Plan | Oeconnection LLC | 841 | $76.8M | $91,293 |
| Clubessential Holdings, LLC 401(k) Plan | Clubessential Holdings, LLC | 640 | $24.4M | $38,080 |
| Quadax, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust | Quadax, Inc. | 888 | $58.6M | $65,979 |
| Stratacache 401(k) Investment Plan | Stratacache Inc. | 605 | $38.3M | $63,230 |
| Oclc Supplemental Plan | Oclc, Inc. | 1,007 | $24.2M | $23,988 |
| Foundation Software, LLC 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Foundation Software, LLC | 593 | $42.9M | $72,385 |
Defined contribution plans in information closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Highlights Family of Companies Retirement Plan?
667 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 411 were active employees, with net assets of $73,346,479. 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 Highlights for Children, Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $1,628,802 in employer contributions for the year, which is $3,963 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 $72,396 in compensation to service provider organisations, $109 per participant or 0.10% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $113 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $88,646. 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 Highlights for Children, Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: Fidelity Investments Institutional. Investment advisory or management: Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and Morgan Stanley Global Banking Oper. The financial statements were audited by Clark Schaefer Hackett & Co.. 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 5 Sep 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 31-4358280, plan 001, received 5 Sep 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.