North Carolina › Professional, scientific and technical services › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Feb 2024 to 31 Jan 2025
The Van Winkle Law Firm Profit Sharing Plan
Sponsored by The Van Winkle Law Firm, Asheville, 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.
The Van Winkle Law Firm of Asheville, North Carolina sponsors The Van Winkle Law Firm Profit Sharing Plan, a 401(k) plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Jan 2025 shows 102 participants (76 active) and $22.7M in net assets.
Net assets came to $222,228 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.
The employer contributed $813K during the year, or $10,695 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,447; participants contributed $771K and $79K arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $867K.
Schedule C lists 2 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $58K: $569 per participant, well above the same-size median of $194. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $77K. 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 $16.1M in 2009 to $22.7M in 2024 (up 41%), and participants from 177 to 102 (down 42%).
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 | $222,228 | $60,185 | $73,951 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $10,695 | $2,447 | $3,219 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $569 | $194 | $148 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.26% | 0.32% | 0.22% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $751 | $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 | 102 | $22.7M | $222,225 | $813K | $771K | $58K |
| 2023 | 116 | $19.6M | $169,319 | $633K | $715K | $59K |
| 2022 | 113 | $19.0M | $168,248 | $792K | $652K | $67K |
| 2021 | 112 | $20.6M | $184,295 | $689K | $599K | $43K |
| 2019 | 112 | $20.3M | $181,214 | $593K | $532K | $82K |
| 2018 | 116 | $21.5M | $184,974 | $395K | $443K | $70K |
| 2017 | 121 | $23.5M | $194,579 | $566K | $549K | $81K |
| 2016 | 114 | $20.1M | $176,061 | $278K | $510K | $31K |
| 2015 | 133 | $21.3M | $160,286 | $705K | $554K | $0 |
| 2014 | 131 | $22.2M | $169,771 | $446K | $473K | $0 |
| 2013 | 138 | $21.0M | $152,420 | $677K | $528K | $0 |
| 2012 | 127 | $20.9M | $164,850 | $717K | $569K | $0 |
| 2011 | 130 | $18.9M | $145,608 | $672K | $557K | $0 |
| 2010 | 173 | $17.6M | $101,723 | $672K | $481K | $0 |
| 2009 | 177 | $16.1M | $91,141 | $663K | $490K | $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$19,640,802
- Employer contributions$812,816
- Participant contributions$771,177
- Rollovers and other contributions$78,696
- Total contributions$1,662,689
- Total income, including investment results$3,969,655
- Benefits paid$866,529
- Administrative expenses$76,632
- Total expenses$943,161
- Net income$3,026,494
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$22,667,296
Participants
- Active participants76
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits4
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits22
- Participants with account balances99
- Total participants, end of year102
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Directions, LLC | Investment advisory (participants); Investment advisory (plan) | $48,968 | $0 |
| TPC Qualified Plans LLC | Recordkeeping and information management; Consulting (general); Participant loan processing; Investment management; Other services | $9,109 | $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$67,523
- Recordkeeping fees$9,109
- Total administrative expenses$76,632
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)$16.2M · 71.5%
- Other investments$5.2M · 23.1%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$550K · 2.4%
- Receivables$532K · 2.3%
- Participant loans$142K · 0.6%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- 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
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 plan2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3DPre-approved pension plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 541110: Offices of Lawyers.
Similar plans in North Carolina
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percona Staffing LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust | Percona Staffing LLC | 103 | — | — |
| Force Management Holdings LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan & Trust | Force Management Holdings, LLC | 102 | $13.4M | $131,730 |
| Avid Solutions, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan | Avid Solutions, Inc. | 105 | — | — |
| Link Group Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Consumer Link, Inc. | 100 | — | — |
| Issuer Direct Corporation 401(k) Plan | Issuer Direct Corporation | 105 | — | — |
| 403(b) Thrift Plan for Employees of North Carolina Justice Center | North Carolina Justice Center | 105 | $9.2M | $88,069 |
Defined contribution plans in professional, scientific and technical services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is The Van Winkle Law Firm Profit Sharing Plan?
102 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Jan 2025, of whom 76 were active employees, with net assets of $22,667,296. 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 The Van Winkle Law Firm contribute per participant?
The filing reports $812,816 in employer contributions for the year, which is $10,695 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,447 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 $58,077 in compensation to service provider organisations, $569 per participant or 0.26% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $194 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $76,632. 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 The Van Winkle Law Firm. Recordkeeping or administration: TPC Qualified Plans LLC. Investment advisory or management: Capital Directions, LLC and TPC Qualified Plans 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 Feb 2024 to 31 Jan 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 13 Nov 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 56-1026015, plan 002, received 13 Nov 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.