Cooper Hatchery, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Cooper Farms Retirement Plan
Oakwood, OHAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting1,732 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,671Employer $ per active participant
$2,997Employee $ saved per active participant
0.28%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$129.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$69,112Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity40.2 / 5080th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost10.7 / 2543th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.4 / 1562th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score70 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting plans with 500–2,499 active participants (118 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 80th |
| Lower admin cost | 43th |
| Employee saving | 62th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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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
- Cooper Hatchery put in about $2,671 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($774). 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.
- 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 | $4,626,485 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $5,191,174 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $190,866 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $349,311 |
| Contract administrator fees | $123,093 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $150,000 |
| Other admin expenses | $29,184 |
| Benefits paid out | $10,906,802 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $117.4M / $129.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,772 / 1,692 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,880 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Shultz Huber & Associates, Inc. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Commonwealth Equity Services | $149,994 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $86,998 reported compensation |
| Retirement Plan Concepts & Services | $43,413 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250829085714NAL0019069712001, received 2025-08-29, EIN 34-4852946, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.