American Packaging Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
American Packaging Corporation 401(k) Plan
Columbus, WIManufacturing1,276 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,634Employer $ per active participant
$6,342Employee $ saved per active participant
0.10%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$169.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$111,055Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity40.2 / 5080th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.5 / 2574th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.1 / 1568th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score79 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 80th |
| Lower admin cost | 74th |
| Employee saving | 68th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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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
- American Packaging put in about $4,634 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,320). 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.
- 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 | $5,915,581 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,096,171 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,080,626 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $161,713 |
| Contract administrator fees | $900 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $56,015 |
| Benefits paid out | $21,201,331 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $154.6M / $169.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,231 / 1,322 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,527 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Clifton Larson Allen LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $91,778 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $30,900 reported compensation |
| Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith | $25,115 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250925075813NAL0018877714001, received 2025-09-25, EIN 23-2209850, plan #014, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.