Chief Industries Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Chief Industries, Inc. Thrift Plan
Grand Island, NEManufacturing1,293 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,787Employer $ per active participant
$5,493Employee $ saved per active participant
0.17%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$129.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$90,585Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity18.8 / 5038th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.7 / 2559th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.8 / 1559th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score52 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 38th |
| Lower admin cost | 59th |
| Employee saving | 59th |
| 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
- Chief Industries put in about $1,787 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). 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 | $2,310,439 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,103,063 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,607,612 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $216,595 |
| Contract administrator fees | $8,491 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $110,751 |
| Benefits paid out | $17,661,557 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $119.4M / $129.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,290 / 1,296 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,430 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Allen Capital Group LLC | $110,568 reported compensation |
| Schwab Retirement Plan Services, in | $63,433 reported compensation |
| Forvis Mazars, LLP | $8,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251104083029NAL0019010066001, received 2025-11-04, EIN 47-0444429, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.