Barr Engineering Co. 401(k) Review & Grade
Barr Engineering Co. Retirement Savings Plan
Minneapolis, MNProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,046 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,878Employer $ per active participant
$11,658Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$277.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$219,575Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity23.3 / 5047th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.1 / 2592th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.7 / 1571th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score67 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 47th |
| Lower admin cost | 92th |
| Employee saving | 71th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- Barr Engineering put in about $2,878 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,082). 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.
- 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 | $3,008,696 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $12,188,425 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,205,026 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $84,531 |
| Benefits paid out | $18,793,114 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $241.4M / $277.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,032 / 1,059 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,262 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Schwab Retirement Plan Services,inc | $82,095 reported compensation |
| Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | $162 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251107091005NAL0000726896001, received 2025-11-07, EIN 41-0905995, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.