Methodology
How the Rankings Work
AutoDealer401K analyzes publicly available retirement-plan information filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. We identify automobile dealerships, associate retirement plans with dealership entities where sufficient evidence exists, standardize the information, and compare observable retirement-plan metrics with dealership peers.
The data source
The primary data source is the U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 (including Form 5500-SF and applicable schedules). Form 5500 is generally filed annually, so reported information reflects a specific plan year and may lag current plan information. We never present stale filings as if they were real-time employer data — each profile shows the filing year it is based on.
What we measure
Employer Contribution / Participant
Total employer retirement-plan contributions reported for the applicable plan year divided by active participants at year-end. This may include matching contributions, profit sharing, nonelective contributions, and other employer funding — not just the 401(k) match.
Participant Contribution / Participant
Participant and elective contributions divided by active participants at year-end.
Assets / Participant
End-of-year plan assets divided by active participants at year-end.
Employer contribution is not automatically the match
An important distinction: the employer contribution reported on Form 5500 is the total employer retirement contribution. It may include the 401(k) match, profit sharing, nonelective contributions, and other employer funding. We label this metric "Employer Contribution / Participant" rather than "401(k) Match" unless dealership-verified match data specifically identifies the match formula or amount.
Rankings & percentiles
For each observable metric we display the national percentile and, where sufficient data exists, the state and similar-size peer percentile. Percentiles rank the individual metric — a high ranking in one metric does not imply the plan is objectively "better" overall. We may later introduce a proprietary AutoDealer401K Competitive Score once that methodology is finalized.
Data statuses
- Public Data — Information primarily derived from Department of Labor Form 5500 filings.
- Verified — Information that has been confirmed or supplemented by the dealership.
- Ranking Available — We know the dealership exists but do not currently have enough retirement-plan information to produce a reliable ranking.
Disclosure
AutoDealer401K provides retirement-plan information for research and benchmarking purposes. Public information is derived primarily from Department of Labor Form 5500 filings and may not reflect subsequent plan changes. Rankings compare reported observable metrics and are not investment, legal, tax, or fiduciary advice.