Sokal Media Group
Updated Filing received by DOL
Sokal Media Group, an information & publishing employer in Raleigh, North Carolina, reported 147 participants in its health and welfare plan for plan year 2024. Its Form 5500 shows 8 insurance contracts with no premium reported and $66,455 in broker commissions and fees. The plan is fully insured (an insurance carrier pays claims). The Department of Labor received the filing on August 6, 2026, 37 days after the base deadline with no extension indicated on the form.
Who was paid on Sokal Media Group's plan
Schedule A, Part I lists each broker or agent paid on each insurance contract and the amount. Totals below add every contract Sokal Media Group filed for 2024.
| Broker or agent | Commissions | Fees | Total | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Winstead · Wake Forest, NC | $48,224 | $0 | $48,224 | 1 |
| Triangle Insurance & Associates LLC · Louisburg, NC | $11,077 | $2,847 | $13,924 | 14 |
| Gis Benefits Inc · Morris, IL | $0 | $4,307 | $4,307 | 7 |
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 and Blue Shield of North Carolinahealth, dental, vision, prescription drug, PPO | 212 | — | $48,224 | — |
| United of Omaha Life Insurance Companylong-term disability | 148 | — | $3,362 | — |
| United of Omaha Life Insurance Companylife | 147 | — | $2,310 | — |
| United of Omaha Life Insurance Companyshort-term disability | 22 | — | $4,678 | — |
| United of Omaha Life Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 13 | — | $503 | — |
| United of Omaha Life Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 24 | — | $2,056 | — |
| United of Omaha Life Insurance Companycoverage not coded | 37 | — | $2,288 | — |
| United of Omaha Life Insurance Companylife | 52 | — | $3,034 | — |
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 Sokal Media Group 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
| 2023 | 2024 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 133 | 147 | +10.5% |
| Premiums filed | $0 | $0 | not comparable |
| Broker commissions + fees | $86,286 | $66,455 | −23.0% |
| Commission rate | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sokal Media Group Employee Benefit Plan#501 · insurance | November 30, 2025 | August 6, 2026 | 37 days after deadline, no extension indicated | 147 |
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 Sokal Media Group pay in health insurance broker commissions in 2024?
Sokal Media Group's 2024 Form 5500 reports $66,455 in broker commissions and fees across 8 insurance contracts ($59,301 in commissions, $7,154 in fees), with Jordan Winstead receiving the largest share.
Is Sokal Media Group's health plan self-funded or fully insured?
The 2024 filing indicates the plan is fully insured (an insurance carrier pays claims). Medical coverage is written by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.
How does Sokal Media Group's broker compensation compare with similar employers?
A commission-to-premium ratio cannot be computed for Sokal Media Group 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.