Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. 401k Savings Plan
Ontario, CAManufacturing2,976 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,221Employer $ per active participant
$3,921Employee $ saved per active participant
0.22%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$161.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$42,578Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity15.8 / 5032th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.7 / 2531th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.6 / 1524th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score37 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 32th |
| Lower admin cost | 31th |
| Employee saving | 24th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ajinomoto Foods North America put in about $2,221 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,452). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.22% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- 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 | $6,608,427 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $11,668,598 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,405,606 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $332,765 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $118,446 |
| Other admin expenses | $1,980 |
| Benefits paid out | $13,894,840 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $137.1M / $161.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,859 / 3,093 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,799 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $212,339 reported compensation |
| Sageview Advisory Group LLC | $62,000 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $56,446 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015123001NAL0002410243001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 46-1701609, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.