Boston Beer Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Boston Beer Company 401(k) Plan
Boston, MAManufacturing2,624 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,410Employer $ per active participant
$7,066Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$353.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$116,747Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity24.3 / 5049th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.2 / 2573th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.1 / 1561th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score49 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 49th |
| Lower admin cost | 73th |
| Employee saving | 61th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($1,081 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,783 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Boston Beer put in about $3,410 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.
- 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.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $8,946,676 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $18,540,829 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,958,719 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $197,333 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $22,252 |
| Other admin expenses | $357 |
| Benefits paid out | $20,868,699 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $290.5M / $353.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,659 / 2,589 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,027 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Deloitte & Touche |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $160,954 reported compensation |
| Deloitte & Touche LLP | $132,385 reported compensation |
| Mma Securities LLC | $37,358 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014091440NAL0001158323001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 04-3537265, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.