Guardian Independent Operator Association, Inc.
Updated Filing received by DOL
Guardian Independent Operator Association, Inc., a finance & insurance employer in Kennesaw, Georgia, reported 155,168 participants in its health and welfare plan for plan year 2025. Its Form 5500 shows $2.3M in insurance premiums across 8 contracts and $1.8M 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 25, 2026, within the extension window.
Who was paid on Guardian Independent Operator Association, 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 Guardian Independent Operator Association, Inc. filed for 2025.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer · Chicago, IL | $1,537,072 | $118,974 | $1,656,046 | 8 |
| Benefitstore Inc. dba Benefitfocus · Charleston, SC | $147,876 | $0 | $147,876 | 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. Where Part I rows added up to more than the contract's Schedule A total, they were scaled down to that total. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Standard Insurance Companylong-term disability | 932 | $2.3M | $207,429 | 9.1% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia, Inc.health, dental, vision, prescription drug, PPO | 19,955 | — | $824,929 | — |
| Securian Life Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 15,270 | — | $189,636 | — |
| Hartford Life and Accidentlife, short-term disability | 150,026 | — | $262,635 | — |
| Hartford Life and Accidentcoverage not coded | 3,801 | — | $6,836 | — |
| Life Insurance Company of North Americacoverage not coded | 1,006 | — | $26,181 | — |
| Life Insurance Company of North Americacoverage not coded | 1,006 | — | $286,276 | — |
| Life Insurance Company of North Americalife | 1,006 | — | — | — |
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 Guardian Independent Operator Association, 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.
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 | 15,376 | 155,168 | +909.2% |
| Premiums filed | $1,965,656 | $2,276,089 | not comparable |
| Broker commissions + fees | $1,358,055 | $1,803,922 | +32.8% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gioa Benefit Trust Fund#501 · insurance, general assets | December 31, 2025 | August 25, 2026 | within extension | 155,168 |
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 Guardian Independent Operator Association, Inc. pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2025?
Guardian Independent Operator Association, Inc.'s 2025 Form 5500 reports $1,803,922 in broker commissions and fees across 8 insurance contracts ($1,669,731 in commissions, $134,191 in fees), with Mercer receiving the largest share.
Is Guardian Independent Operator Association, Inc.'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 Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia, Inc..
How does Guardian Independent Operator Association, Inc.'s broker compensation compare with similar employers?
A commission-to-premium ratio cannot be computed for Guardian Independent Operator Association, Inc. because the filing does not report medical premium on Schedule A (usual for self-funded plans). In dollars, employers with 5,000+ participants that disclosed broker pay reported a median of $458,262.
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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.