Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc.
Updated Filing received by DOL
Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc., a professional & technical services employer in Knoxville, Tennessee, reported 393 participants in its health and welfare plan for plan year 2025. Its Form 5500 shows $1.1M in insurance premiums across 5 contracts and $63,144 in broker commissions and fees. The plan is fully insured (an insurance carrier pays claims). The Department of Labor received the filing on June 19, 2026, before the deadline.
Who was paid on Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc.'s plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc. filed for 2025.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Kelly · Knoxville, TN | $0 | $33,591 | $33,591 | 1 |
| Tis Insurance Services Inc. · Knoxville, TN | $14,441 | $355 | $14,796 | 3 |
| Tis Insruance Service, Inc. · Knoxville, TN | $14,054 | $703 | $14,757 | 1 |
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 Tennessee, Inc.health, dental, vision | 601 | $1.1M | $33,591 | 3.0% |
| Unum Life Insurance Company of Americalife | 179 | — | $7,460 | — |
| Unum Life Insurance Company of Americalife, short-term disability, long-term disability | 421 | — | $14,757 | — |
| Unum Life Insurance Company of Americahealth | 494 | — | $1,736 | — |
| Unum Life Insurance Company of Americahealth | 498 | — | $5,600 | — |
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 Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc. 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.
Premium per covered person on medical contracts: $1,851 a year (national median $7,274).
Source: BenefitsLedger benchmarks from 58,547 employer health plans with 100 or more participants, plan year 2024. Methodology.
Year over year
| 2024 | 2025 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 369 | 393 | +6.5% |
| Premiums filed | $2,412,548 | $1,112,174 | not comparable |
| Broker commissions + fees | $208,884 | $63,144 | −69.8% |
| Commission rate | — | — | — |
Source: DOL Form 5500 filings for plan years 2024 and 2025.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc. Health Insurance#501 · insurance | December 31, 2025 | June 19, 2026 | before deadline | 393 |
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 Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc. pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2025?
Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc.'s 2025 Form 5500 reports $63,144 in broker commissions and fees across 5 insurance contracts ($28,495 in commissions, $34,649 in fees), with Benjamin Kelly receiving the largest share.
Is Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc.'s health plan self-funded or fully insured?
The 2025 filing indicates the plan is fully insured (an insurance carrier pays claims). Medical coverage is written by Bluecross Blueshield of Tennessee, Inc., Unum Life Insurance Company of America.
How does Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc.'s broker compensation compare with similar employers?
A commission-to-premium ratio cannot be computed for Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc. because the filing does not report medical premium on Schedule A (usual for self-funded plans). In dollars, employers with 200-499 participants that disclosed broker pay reported a median of $77,013.
Send the full findings to your inbox.
A specialist writes up every finding for Charles Tombras Advertising, Inc. with the methodology and public-source citations, in a form you can forward to your CFO or counsel. Tick the box if you also want a 15-minute walkthrough call.
We don't sell your email. By submitting, you agree that BenefitsLedger and its benefits advisory partner, WellthCare, may email or call you about these findings. Opt out anytime by replying. See our privacy policy.
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.