| Broker | Address | Carrier | Commissions | Fees | Total comp | % of premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES R NELLIGAN & ASSOCIATES LLC3 Filed as: JAMES R. NELLIGAN & ASSOCIATES | 1060 BROADWAY STE 400 ALBANY, NY 12204 | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | $154K | $8K | $162K | 13.31% |
| THE STERLING GROUP INC3 Filed as: STERLING BENEFITS LLC | 512 W LANCASTER AVENUE STE C WAYNE, PA 19087 | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | $27K | $0 | $27K | 2.19% |
| Provider | Services | Address | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STERLING BENEFITS, LLC EIN 30-0367848 BROKER | Insurance agents and brokers Service code 22 | — | $272K |
| THE BENECON GROUP, LLC EIN 23-1315351 BROKER | Insurance agents and brokers Service code 22 | — | $149K |
| INDEPENDENCE ADMINISTRATORS EIN 23-2184623 ADMIN | Claims processing Service code 12 | — | $95K |
| CONNECTCARE3 EIN 26-1768616 OTHER | Other services Service code 49 | — | $49K |
Benefits declared on the Form 5500 main form (✓ = also has a Schedule A insurance contract; otherwise the benefit is funded out of plan assets or via a Schedule C TPA).
The plan reports several different headcounts depending on which form you read. Each one measures a different slice of the population.
| Active participants | 835 | Currently employed and enrolled or eligible. |
| Retired/separated still receiving benefits | 16 | Continuation coverage (COBRA, retiree health). |
| Retired/separated still eligible | 0 | Vested but not currently using benefits. |
| Total participants (= "Plan participants" tile) | 851 | Active + retired/separated + beneficiaries. No dependents. |
| Coverage | Top carrier | Persons covered EOY | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 854 | $1.2M |
| Vision | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 854 | $1.2M |
| Life insurance | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 854 | $1.2M |
| Short-term disability | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 854 | $1.2M |
| Long-term disability | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 854 | $1.2M |
| Stop-loss / reinsurancereinsurance | HM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY | 835 | $1.2M |
| Other | THE GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA | 854 | $1.2M |
| Persons covered (= "Persons covered" tile) | Max across the rows above | 854 | — |
Why the numbers differ. Form 5500 line 6 counts employees + retirees + beneficiaries; no dependents. Schedule A persons-covered counts everyone enrolled, including spouses and children, so it usually exceeds line 6 by 30-60% on a working-age workforce. The medical row is normally the broadest single line because it has the highest take-up; dental/vision/life often dip below it. Stop-loss / reinsurance contracts sometimes report the carrier's full underwriting pool rather than this filer's headcount; the row is shown for transparency but shouldn't be read as "people in this plan."
The primary carrier changed from prior filing. The plan is already willing to move; opportunity to re-pitch on the next cycle.
Primary broker changed. Recently changed advisors; vulnerable to a second-look pitch or hostile takeover.
Broker compensation exceeds 5% of premium. Either a small-plan minimum-fee dynamic or an inefficient broker structure ripe for a counter-bid.
Premium per covered life exceeds 2× the peer median for this NAICS + size cohort. Either richly-funded plan or struggling with a bad rate.