Aar Corp. 401(k) Review & Grade
Aar Corp. Retirement Savings Plan
Wood Dale, ILTransportation & Warehousing3,992 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,402Employer $ per active participant
$7,113Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$557.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$72,693Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity30.3 / 5061th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost16.4 / 2566th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.7 / 1578th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score58 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (123 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 61th |
| Lower admin cost | 66th |
| Employee saving | 78th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 46% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($20,546 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Aar put in about $2,402 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,834). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $9,590,777 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $28,400,628 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $17,350,276 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $399,733 |
| Other admin expenses | $399,733 |
| Benefits paid out | $55,583,680 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $487.3M / $557.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,848 / 4,137 |
| Participants with account balances | 7,667 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Sikich CPA LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $414,429 reported compensation |
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $19,554 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250813114830NAL0010824928001, received 2025-08-13, EIN 36-2334820, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.