Consumer Cellular 401(k) match, vesting and fees
What Consumer Cellular's 401(k) plan says about matching contributions
The Plan Sponsor has elected to make ADP Safe Harbor Matching Contributions to the Plan that are equal to up to six percent of compensation, but not to exceed the participant’s elective deferrals.
Quoted directly from the filing. Plan terms may have changed; check your current Summary Plan Description.
Plan features
Indented passages are quoted word for word from the audit report; plan terms may have changed since, so check your current Summary Plan Description.
| Employer match | Quoted from the filing above | 2023 audit report, p. 30 ↗ |
| Match vesting | Vesting – Participants are immediately vested in their contributions plus actual earnings thereon. Vesting in the Plan Sponsor’s contribution portion of their accounts is based on years of continuous service. One year of service is defined by the Plan as being 1,000 hours of service performed during 12 consecutive months. Participants become 100% vested upon attainment of normal retirement age, death, or permanent disablement. Beginning January 1, 2022, ADP Safe Harbor Matching is immediately vested. Safe Harbor Matching contributions made under the previous QACA match will be 0 percent and 100 percent vested, after completing one year and two years of service respectively. Vesting in employer non-elective contributions and matching contributions previous to the QACA will be 0 percent, 20 percent, 40 percent, 60 percent, 80 percent, and 100 percent vested after completing one year, two years, three years, four years, five years, and six years of service, respectively. | 2023 audit report, p. 31 ↗ |
| Automatic enrollment | Effective January 1, 2022, the Plan does not include an auto enrollment feature. | 2023 audit report, p. 30 ↗ |
| Loans | Notes Receivable from Participants – Participants who are suffering a financial hardship for which supporting documentation can be provided, may borrow from their accounts a minimum of $1,000, up to a maximum equal to the lesser of $50,000 or 50 percent of their vested account balance, reduced by the balance of any previously outstanding loans. Qualifying hardships include eligible medical expenses, purchase of a principal residence, payments to prevent eviction, and other related expenses. Loans are secured by participant’s vested account balance and bear interest at the Prime Rate plus one percent. | 2023 audit report, p. 32 ↗ |
| Recordkeeper | Empower Annuity Insurance Company | 2025 Schedule C ↗ |
| Independent auditor | Kuenzi & Company LLC (unmodified opinion, limited scope) | 2025 Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | 401(k) · Active | 2025 Form 5500 ↗ |
Match, vesting and other plan features are from the plan year 2023 filing's audit report (the latest one extracted so far). Rows cited to the Form 5500 and its schedules are from the plan year 2025 filing.
How the plan compares
Plan year 2025 medians for 266 defined-contribution plans in professional, scientific, and technical services with 1,000 to 4,999 participants.
| Consumer Cellular: employer contribution per participant | $2,610 | |
| Peer median | $2,664 |
| Consumer Cellular: average balance | $41,644 | |
| Peer median | $119,448 |
| Consumer Cellular: admin expenses ÷ assets | 0.69% | |
| Peer median | 0.09% |
Admin expenses are the plan's reported administrative expenses divided by its assets; they do not include fund expense ratios.
Plan history
Plan assets went from $41.1M at the end of plan year 2021 to $72.6M at the end of plan year 2025.
| Plan year | Participants | Assets | Employer contributions | Per participant | Admin expense ratio | Match formula | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,297 | $72.6M | $4.5M | $2,610 | 0.69% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2024 | 2,907 | $55.9M | $4M | $2,495 | 0.64% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2023 | 3,236 | $44.9M | $3.2M | $1,905 | 0.65% | Quoted in the audit report, p. 30 ↗ | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2022 | 2,820 | $35.7M | $3.1M | $1,818 | 0.40% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2021 | 2,796 | $41.1M | $2.6M | $943 | 0.12% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
Common questions
Does Consumer Cellular match 401(k) contributions?
The audit report attached to the Consumer Cellular Inc 401(k) Plan & Trust's plan year 2023 Form 5500, page 30 says: “The Plan Sponsor has elected to make ADP Safe Harbor Matching Contributions to the Plan that are equal to up to six percent of compensation, but not to exceed the participant’s elective deferrals.” Plan terms may have changed; check your current Summary Plan Description.
When is the Consumer Cellular 401(k) match vested?
The audit report attached to the plan year 2023 Form 5500, page 31 says: “Vesting – Participants are immediately vested in their contributions plus actual earnings thereon. Vesting in the Plan Sponsor’s contribution portion of their accounts is based on years of continuous service. One year of service is defined by the Plan as being 1,000 hours of service performed during 12 consecutive months. Participants become 100% vested upon attainment of normal retirement age, death, or permanent disablement. Beginning January 1, 2022, ADP Safe Harbor Matching is immediately vested. Safe Harbor Matching contributions made under the previous QACA match will be 0 percent and 100 percent vested, after completing one year and two years of service respectively. Vesting in employer non-elective contributions and matching contributions previous to the QACA will be 0 percent, 20 percent, 40 percent, 60 percent, 80 percent, and 100 percent vested after completing one year, two years, three years, four years, five years, and six years of service, respectively.”
Who manages the Consumer Cellular 401(k)?
The recordkeeper listed on Schedule C of the plan year 2025 filing is Empower Annuity Insurance Company. The plan administrator is Consumer Cellular Inc.
I left Consumer Cellular. How do I find my old 401(k)?
Your account stays in the plan until you move it. Contact the plan administrator (Consumer Cellular Inc, (503) 675-8988) or the recordkeeper, Empower Annuity Insurance Company. The Consumer Cellular old 401(k) page lists the contacts from every plan filing. Find an old Consumer Cellular 401(k)
Data from the public Form 5500 annual reports Consumer Cellular filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (plan years 2021 and 2022 and 2023 and 2024 and 2025) and, where noted, the attached independent auditor's report. Plan terms may have changed since the filing; check your current Summary Plan Description. PlanFacts is not affiliated with Consumer Cellular. Not financial advice. Report a correction · Methodology