Bethany Lutheran Homes, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Bethany Lutheran Homes 401(k) Plan
La Crosse, WIHealth Care & Social Assistance504 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$452Employer $ per active participant
$1,105Employee $ saved per active participant
0.46%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$11.2MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity16.3 / 5033th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.5 / 2526th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.6 / 1524th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score26 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Health Care & Social Assistance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,427 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 33th |
| Lower admin cost | 26th |
| Employee saving | 24th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,952 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Bethany Lutheran Homes put in about $452 per active participant, below the typical peer ($976). 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 (0.46% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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.
- 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 | $227,823 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $556,682 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $9,452 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $49,447 |
| Contract administrator fees | $5,795 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $30,537 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,136,197 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $10.4M / $11.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 516 / 492 |
| Participants with account balances | 169 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Hawkins Ash Cpas , LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| NFP Retirement, Inc. | $32,237 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $17,210 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250729103249NAL0003108081001, received 2025-07-29, EIN 39-0909446, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.