Better4, LLC
Updated Filing received by DOL
Better4, LLC, a manufacturing — metal, equipment, transportation employer in Carol Stream, Illinois, reported 110 participants in its health and welfare plan for plan year 2025. Its Form 5500 shows 8 insurance contracts with no premium reported and $28,140 in broker commissions and fees. The plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. The Department of Labor received the filing on August 17, 2026, before the deadline.
Who was paid on Better4, LLC's plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract Better4, LLC filed for 2025.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marsh McLennan Agency | $20,830 | $894 | $21,724 | 7 |
| The Horton Group Inc. | $2,952 | $1,435 | $4,387 | 2 |
| Centro Benefits Research LLC · Atlanta, GA | $0 | $2,029 | $2,029 | 2 |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, Part I (broker commissions and fees), plan year 2025, as published in EBSA's 2025 "Latest" dataset. Part I names whoever the carrier paid, which can be a firm or an individual agent; both are public record. Amounts exclude pay from carriers not tied to a listed contract.
Insurance contracts and carriers
Every insurance contract reported on Schedule A: carrier, what it covers, people covered at year end, earned premium, and broker compensation.
| Carrier · coverage | Covered | Premium | Broker pay | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluecross Blueshield of Illinoishealth | 46 | — | $18,295 | — |
| Principal Life Insurance Companydental, vision, PPO | 74 | — | $5,285 | — |
| Unum Life Insurance Company of Americalife, short-term disability, long-term disability | 75 | — | $2,434 | — |
| Unum Life Insurance Company of Americashort-term disability | 3 | — | $591 | — |
| Unum Life Insurance Company of Americalife | 8 | — | $522 | — |
| Unum Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 3 | — | $51 | — |
| Unum Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 7 | — | $733 | — |
| Unum Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 15 | — | $229 | — |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, plan year 2025. Self-funded medical coverage has no premium; amounts shown for it are stop-loss or administrative contracts.
How Better4, LLC compares
Medians across employers for plan year 2024, the most recent complete year. Commission rates use fully insured medical contracts only; dollar medians use every employer that disclosed broker pay.
Not computable: no insured medical premium on the filing.
Source: BenefitsLedger benchmarks from 58,547 employer health plans with 100 or more participants, plan year 2024. Methodology.
Filings and timeliness
Plans this employer filed under its EIN with a health benefit code. Large plans are due seven months after the plan year ends, or two and a half months later with an extension; amended filings carry the amendment date, so no timing is asserted for them.
| Plan | Plan year end | Received by DOL | Timing | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better4, LLC dba Metals Technology Corporation Health and Welfare Benefit Plan#501 · insurance, general assets | January 31, 2026 | August 17, 2026 | before deadline | 110 |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Part I and signature dates; "late" means received after the extended deadline (the 15th day of the tenth month after plan year end). What a late Form 5500 costs.
How much did Better4, LLC pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2025?
Better4, LLC's 2025 Form 5500 reports $28,140 in broker commissions and fees across 8 insurance contracts ($23,782 in commissions, $4,358 in fees), with Marsh McLennan Agency receiving the largest share.
Is Better4, LLC's health plan self-funded or fully insured?
The 2025 filing indicates the plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. Medical coverage is written by Bluecross Blueshield of Illinois.
How does Better4, LLC's broker compensation compare with similar employers?
A commission-to-premium ratio cannot be computed for Better4, LLC because the filing does not report medical premium on Schedule A (usual for self-funded plans). In dollars, employers with 100-199 participants that disclosed broker pay reported a median of $53,852.
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Record built October 24, 2026 from U.S. Department of Labor, EBSA Form 5500 datasets (2025, 2024, 2023 plan years, 'Latest' files). Filings can run 7 to 10 months behind the plan year; always confirm against current plan documents. BenefitsLedger is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor. Open the DOL filing search.