Ardent Mills, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Ardent Mills, LLC Retirement Savings Plan (for Salaried Employees)
Denver, COWholesale Trade2,358 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,705Employer $ per active participant
$8,668Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$295.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$101,266Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity46.9 / 5094th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.3 / 2585th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.4 / 1590th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score89 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (603 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 94th |
| Lower admin cost | 85th |
| Employee saving | 90th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 53% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $5,684 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ardent Mills put in about $6,705 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,792). 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 | $15,809,344 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $20,438,096 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,461,646 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $155,220 |
| Other admin expenses | $155,220 |
| Benefits paid out | $26,854,507 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $251.2M / $295.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,388 / 2,328 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,916 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Eide Bailly LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $107,631 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $61,704 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014163117NAL0001653027001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 30-0007111, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.