KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage
Updated Filing received by DOL
KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage, a wholesale trade employer in Columbia, South Carolina, reported 371 participants in its health and welfare plan for plan year 2024. Its Form 5500 shows $1.8M in insurance premiums across 2 contracts and $153,887 in broker commissions and fees, 5.3% of medical premium against a national median of 3.8% among plans that paid commissions in plan year 2024. The plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. The Department of Labor received the filing on October 7, 2025, before the deadline.
Who was paid on KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage's plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage filed for 2024.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilb Group of South Carolina · Greer, SC | $136,232 | $17,655 | $153,887 | 2 |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, Part I (broker commissions and fees), plan year 2024, as published in EBSA's 2024 "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolinahealth, prescription drug | 227 | $1.8M | $97,763 | 5.3% |
| Principal Life Insurance Companydental, vision, life, short-term disability, long-term disability, PPO | 664 | — | $56,124 | — |
Source: DOL Form 5500 Schedule A, plan year 2024. Self-funded medical coverage has no premium; amounts shown for it are stop-loss or administrative contracts.
How KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage 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.
Premium per covered person on medical contracts: $8,103 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
| 2023 | 2024 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 284 | 371 | +30.6% |
| Premiums filed | $0 | $1,839,444 | — |
| Broker commissions + fees | $56,433 | $153,887 | +172.7% |
| Commission rate | — | 5.3% | — |
Source: DOL Form 5500 filings for plan years 2023 and 2024.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage Group Insurance Plan#501 · insurance, general assets | March 31, 2025 | October 7, 2025 | before deadline | 371 |
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 KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2024?
KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage's 2024 Form 5500 reports $153,887 in broker commissions and fees across 2 insurance contracts ($136,232 in commissions, $17,655 in fees), with Hilb Group of South Carolina receiving the largest share.
Is KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage's health plan self-funded or fully insured?
The 2024 filing indicates the plan is a mix of insured and self-funded coverage. Medical coverage is written by Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina.
How does KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage's broker compensation compare with similar employers?
KW Associates, LLC dba KW Beverage paid 5.3% of medical premium in commissions and fees. The median for employers with 200-499 participants is 3.6%, and the median in South Carolina is 3.9%. Percentages are computed only on fully insured medical contracts with filed premiums.
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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.