Ohio › Finance and insurance › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jun 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Head Start Retirement Program 403(b)
Sponsored by Group Plan Systems, LLC, 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.
Head Start Retirement Program 403(b) is a 401(k) plan sponsored by Group Plan Systems, LLC of Columbus, Ohio. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 157 participants, 151 of them active, and net assets of $17.6M. It is a multiple-employer plan covering the employees of more than one employer.
Net assets came to $112,040 per participant, well above the $60,185 median for defined contribution plans with 100 to 249 participants and above the $92,294 median for defined contribution 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.
The employer contributed $54K during the year, or $357 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,447; participants contributed $98K and $44K arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $22K.
Schedule C lists 2 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $190K: $1,211 per participant, well above the same-size median of $194. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $4,019. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $112,040 | $60,185 | $92,294 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $357 | $2,447 | $3,564 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $1,211 | $194 | $137 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 1.1% | 0.32% | 0.17% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $25.60 | $176 | $130 | $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), finance and insurance (4,391) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$0
- Employer contributions$53,919
- Participant contributions$98,354
- Rollovers and other contributions$44,025
- Total contributions$196,298
- Total income, including investment results−$22,092
- Benefits paid$22,027
- Administrative expenses$4,019
- Total expenses$34,540
- Net income−$56,632
- Net transfers$17,646,859
- Net assets, end of year$17,590,227
Participants
- Active participants151
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits2
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits4
- Participants with account balances139
- Total participants, end of year157
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alera Investment Advisors | Other fees | $0 | $174,539 |
| Ascensus | Other services | $0 | $15,652 |
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
- Recordkeeping fees$4,019
- Total administrative expenses$4,019
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)$17.0M · 96.4%
- Insurance company general account$596K · 3.4%
- Participant loans$32K · 0.2%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionNot stated
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)—
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $1,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearYes
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 plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2AAge/service weighted or new comparability or similar plan2KCode section 401(m) arrangement2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account2S401(k) plan or 403(b) plan that provides for automatic enrollment2WMultiple-employer pension plan that is a pooled employer plan3DPre-approved pension plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 524290: Other Insurance Related Activities (including third-party administration of Insurance and pension funds).
Other plans of Group Plan Systems, LLC
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| My 401(k) Plan | 12,833 | $103M |
| The Nacc 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan | 7,942 | $10.3M |
| GPS Navigator Pooled Employer Plan | 1,410 | $45.1M |
| Everyonesaves Pooled Employer Plan | 1,181 | — |
| Clearvantage Pooled Employer Plan | 351 | — |
| Thrive 403(b) PEP | 203 | — |
Similar plans in Ohio
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minster Bank Profit Sharing Plan | Minster Bank | 158 | $27.7M | $175,363 |
| Ohio Real Title Agency, LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust | Ohio Real Title Agency, LLC | 157 | $9.8M | $62,533 |
| Rockbridge Capital LLC 401(k) Plan | Rockbridge Capital, LLC | 161 | $35.8M | $222,257 |
| Canton School Employees Federal Credit Union 401(k) Plan | Canton School Employees Federal Credit Union | 157 | $17.0M | $108,570 |
| Killbuck Savings Bank Company 401(k) | Killbuck Savings Bank Company | 162 | $14.4M | $88,589 |
| Seven Seventeen Credit Union, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan for Salaried Employees | Seven Seventeen Credit Union, Inc. | 157 | $39.7M | $253,042 |
Defined contribution plans in finance and insurance closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Head Start Retirement Program 403(b)?
157 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 151 were active employees, with net assets of $17,590,227. 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 Group Plan Systems, LLC contribute per participant?
The filing reports $53,919 in employer contributions for the year, which is $357 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 $190,191 in compensation to service provider organisations, $1,211 per participant or 1.1% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $194 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $4,019. 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 Group Plan Systems, 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 does not state an accountant's opinion type.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jun 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 87-2096126, plan 016, 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.