California › Professional, scientific and technical services › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, LLC 401(k) Plan
Sponsored by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, LLC, Sausalito, CA
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.
Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, LLC 401(k) Plan is a 401(k) plan sponsored by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, LLC of Sausalito, California. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 117 participants, 33 of them active, and net assets of $16.6M.
Net assets came to $141,798 per participant, well above the $60,185 median for defined contribution plans with 100 to 249 participants and well above the $73,951 median for defined contribution plans in professional, scientific and technical services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Schedule C lists 1 service provider organisation paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $16K: $134 per participant, well below the same-size median of $194. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $16K. 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 $4.1M in 2009 to $16.6M in 2024 (up 300%), and participants from 184 to 117 (down 36%).
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 | $141,798 | $60,185 | $73,951 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $2,447 | $3,219 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $134 | $194 | $148 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.10% | 0.32% | 0.22% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $134 | $176 | $140 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 100 to 249 participants (21,996 plans), professional, scientific and technical services (9,776) 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 | 117 | $16.6M | $141,795 | — | $345K | $16K |
| 2023 | 142 | $16.1M | $113,085 | $98K | $472K | $12K |
| 2022 | 160 | $14.4M | $90,019 | $84K | $471K | $13K |
| 2021 | 152 | $18.4M | $121,191 | $74K | $431K | $15K |
| 2020 | 161 | $17.1M | $106,435 | — | $389K | $13K |
| 2019 | 183 | $15.7M | $85,945 | $100K | $507K | $12K |
| 2018 | 182 | $13.6M | $74,835 | $109K | $598K | $11K |
| 2017 | 189 | $15.2M | $80,508 | $135K | $676K | $8,000 |
| 2016 | 185 | $13.0M | $70,368 | $156K | $833K | $7,000 |
| 2015 | 201 | $12.2M | $60,632 | $175K | $912K | $5,000 |
| 2014 | 215 | $12.3M | $57,381 | $175K | $925K | $4,000 |
| 2013 | 209 | $11.4M | $54,440 | $188K | $1.0M | $3,000 |
| 2012 | 212 | $8.4M | $39,849 | $202K | $1.0M | $3,000 |
| 2011 | 204 | $6.4M | $31,181 | $191K | $938K | $8,000 |
| 2010 | 180 | $5.5M | $30,594 | $172K | $854K | $5,000 |
| 2009 | 184 | $4.1M | $22,516 | $164K | $754K | $0 |
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$16,058,008
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions$344,850
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$344,850
- Total income, including investment results$2,919,399
- Benefits paid$2,371,348
- Administrative expenses$15,712
- Total expenses$2,387,060
- Net income$532,339
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$16,590,347
Participants
- Active participants33
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits3
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits81
- Participants with account balances116
- Total participants, end of year117
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaaa Benefits Inc. | Recordkeeping and information management; Trustee (discretionary); Investment advisory (plan) | $15,712 | $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
- Contract administrator fees$15,712
- Total administrative expenses$15,712
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.
- 103-12 investment entities$16.6M · 99.9%
- Participant loans$9,594 · 0.1%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmHolthouse, Carlin & Van Tright, LLC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateYes, $23
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- 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) feature2KCode section 401(m) arrangement3DPre-approved pension plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 541800: Advertising & Related Services.
Similar plans in California
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyers Nave 401(K)/PROFIT Sharing Plan 001 | Meyers Nave, a Professional Corporation | 117 | $24.2M | $207,238 |
| Drivesavers, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Drivesavers, Inc. | 117 | — | — |
| Create Advertising Group, LLC 401(k) Plan and Trust | Create Advertising Group, LLC | 117 | — | — |
| Hunt & Henriques,llp 401(k) Plan | Hunt & Henriques,llp | 117 | $15.6M | $133,202 |
| Shamir Insight, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Shamir Insight, Inc. | 117 | $12.4M | $106,280 |
| Esherick Homsey Dodge & Davis 401(k) Savings Plan | Esherick Homsey Dodge and Davis, Architects | 116 | $25.3M | $217,984 |
Defined contribution plans in professional, scientific and technical services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, LLC 401(k) Plan?
117 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 33 were active employees, with net assets of $16,590,347. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 100 to 249 participants band, which held 21,996 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, LLC contribute per participant?
This filing has no Schedule H financial statement, so employer contributions are not reported here.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $15,712 in compensation to service provider organisations, $134 per participant or 0.10% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $194 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $15,712. 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 Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, LLC. Recordkeeping or administration: Aaaa Benefits Inc.. Investment advisory or management: Aaaa Benefits Inc.. Trustee or custodian: Aaaa Benefits Inc.. The financial statements were audited by Holthouse, Carlin & Van Tright, LLC. 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 15 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 35-2194998, plan 001, received 15 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.