Columbia Sportswear Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Columbia Sportswear Company 401(k) Plan
Portland, ORWholesale Trade4,430 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,353Employer $ per active participant
$5,889Employee $ saved per active participant
0.10%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$462.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$87,794Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity33.8 / 5068th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.3 / 2557th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.4 / 1556th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score59 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (103 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 68th |
| Lower admin cost | 57th |
| Employee saving | 56th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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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
- Columbia Sportswear put in about $3,353 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,459). 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.
- 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 | $14,853,527 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $26,092,602 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,540,129 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $432,337 |
| Contract administrator fees | $22,050 |
| Other admin expenses | $326 |
| Benefits paid out | $31,975,153 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $397.0M / $462.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,449 / 4,412 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,263 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Milliman | $344,254 reported compensation |
| Multnomah Investment Group | $65,707 reported compensation |
| Charles Schwab Trust Bank | $41,375 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250804200440NAL0000899987001, received 2025-08-04, EIN 93-0498284, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.