North Carolina › Finance and insurance › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025
Employers - Ila N.C. Ports Pension Plan
Sponsored by Trustees of Employers - Ila N.C. Ports Pension Plan, Wilmington, NC
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.
Trustees of Employers - Ila N.C. Ports Pension Plan of Wilmington, North Carolina sponsors Employers - Ila N.C. Ports Pension Plan, a defined benefit pension plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 30 Sep 2025 shows 685 participants (316 active) and $61.3M in net assets. It is a multiemployer plan, maintained under collective bargaining agreements with more than one employer.
Net assets came to $89,537 per participant, close to the $86,583 median for defined benefit plans with 500 to 999 participants and well below the $119,983 median for defined benefit plans in finance and insurance. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $3.0M for the year ($9,447 per active participant) and benefits paid were $4.0M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 8 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $579K: $845 per participant, well above the same-size median of $377. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $616K. 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 $35.4M in 2009 to $61.3M in 2024 (up 73%), and participants from 802 to 685 (down 15%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $89,537 | $86,583 | $119,983 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $9,447 | $10,758 | $7,849 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $845 | $377 | $352 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.94% | 0.48% | 0.32% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $899 | $591 | $433 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 500 to 999 participants (873 plans), finance and insurance (690) and all US plans (5,308). 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 | 685 | $61.3M | $89,537 | $3.0M | — | $579K |
| 2023 | 712 | $57.2M | $80,334 | $3.3M | — | $579K |
| 2022 | 722 | $48.2M | $66,716 | $3.7M | — | $527K |
| 2021 | 701 | $43.9M | $62,616 | $3.7M | — | $522K |
| 2020 | 676 | $51.9M | $76,839 | $3.1M | — | $562K |
| 2019 | 679 | $44.9M | $66,133 | $2.9M | — | $546K |
| 2018 | 672 | $43.6M | $64,836 | $2.8M | — | $566K |
| 2017 | 682 | $44.0M | $64,563 | $2.6M | — | $565K |
| 2016 | 683 | $41.9M | $61,280 | $2.0M | — | $584K |
| 2015 | 726 | $39.1M | $53,807 | $2.8M | — | $580K |
| 2014 | 739 | $38.0M | $51,399 | $2.6M | — | $538K |
| 2013 | 745 | $40.8M | $54,748 | $2.6M | — | $535K |
| 2012 | 750 | $38.8M | $51,681 | $2.1M | — | $606K |
| 2011 | 764 | $36.9M | $48,298 | $1.9M | — | $586K |
| 2010 | 800 | $32.8M | $40,961 | $2.3M | — | $589K |
| 2009 | 802 | $35.4M | $44,152 | $2.2M | — | $566K |
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$57,198,381
- Employer contributions$2,985,319
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$2,985,319
- Total income, including investment results$8,718,710
- Benefits paid$3,968,418
- Administrative expenses$615,945
- Total expenses$4,584,363
- Net income$4,134,347
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$61,332,728
Participants
- Active participants316
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits178
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits24
- Total participants, end of year685
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employers - Ila N.C. Ports Welfare | Recordkeeping and information management; Accounting (including auditing); Participant communication; Consulting (pension); Copying and duplicating; Other services | $228,298 | $0 |
| USI | Participant communication; Recordkeeping and information management; Consulting (pension); Actuarial | $82,219 | $0 |
| Xponance, Inc. (Piedmont Inv Adv) | Investment management; Investment advisory (plan); Securities brokerage | $70,138 | $0 |
| Alex Brown/ Raymond James & Assoc. | Investment advisory (plan); Investment management | $58,959 | $0 |
| Principal, Previously Wells Fargo | Recordkeeping and information management; Custodial (securities); Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Trustee (directed); Participant communication | $46,013 | $0 |
| Murchison, Taylor and Gibson, PLLC | Legal; Consulting (pension) | $41,538 | $0 |
| Symphona LLP | Accounting (including auditing); Other services | $34,500 | $0 |
| Loomis Sayles Trust Company | Investment management; Securities brokerage | $17,421 | $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$263,464
- Investment advisory and management fees$148,211
- Actuarial fees$82,219
- Trustee and custodial fees$46,013
- Legal fees$41,538
- IQPA audit fees$34,500
- Total administrative expenses$615,945
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)$25.3M · 41.1%
- Corporate stocks$21.2M · 34.5%
- Common/collective trusts$8.8M · 14.4%
- Other investments$4.7M · 7.7%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$1.2M · 2.0%
- Receivables$244K · 0.4%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmSymphona LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- 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
1BBenefits are primarily flat dollar (includes dollars per year of service)
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 525920: Trusts, Estates, & Agency Accounts.
Similar plans in North Carolina
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Federal Credit Union Cash Balance Defined Benefit Pension Plan and Trust | Coastal Federal Credit Union | 704 | $60.0M | $85,219 |
| Southern Bank and Trust Company Pension Plan | Southern Bank and Trust Company | 494 | $90.7M | $183,583 |
| Truliant Federal Credit Union Pension Plan | Truliant Federal Credit Union | 1,041 | $104M | $100,290 |
| The Fidelity Bank Pension Plan | The Fidelity Bank | 288 | $40.0M | $138,736 |
| First Citizens Bank & Trust Company, Inc. Pension Plan | First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | 1,443 | $243M | $168,511 |
| Lumbee Guaranty Bank Employees' Pension Plan | Lumbee Guaranty Bank | 146 | $7.3M | $49,812 |
Defined benefit plans in finance and insurance closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Employers - Ila N.C. Ports Pension Plan?
685 participants at the end of the plan year ending 30 Sep 2025, of whom 316 were active employees, with net assets of $61,332,728. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 500 to 999 participants band, which held 873 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Trustees of Employers - Ila N.C. Ports Pension Plan contribute per participant?
The filing reports $2,985,319 in employer contributions for the year, which is $9,447 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $10,758 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 $579,086 in compensation to service provider organisations, $845 per participant or 0.94% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $377 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $615,945. 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 Trustees of Employers - Ila N.C. Ports Pension Plan. Recordkeeping or administration: Employers - Ila N.C. Ports Welfare, USI and Principal, Previously Wells Fargo. Investment advisory or management: Xponance, Inc. (Piedmont Inv Adv), Alex Brown/ Raymond James & Assoc. and Loomis Sayles Trust Company. Trustee or custodian: Principal, Previously Wells Fargo. The financial statements were audited by Symphona LLP. 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 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 15 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 51-6102977, plan 001, received 15 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.