Core & Main 401(k) Review & Grade
Core & Main 401(k) Retirement Plan
ST. Louis, MOConstruction5,280 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,576Employer $ per active participant
$7,619Employee $ saved per active participant
0.20%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$500.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$82,556Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity29.3 / 5059th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.7 / 2535th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.4 / 1576th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score56 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Construction plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (76 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 59th |
| Lower admin cost | 35th |
| Employee saving | 76th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 57% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $9,601 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Core & Main put in about $2,576 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,965). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.20% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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.
- 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 | $13,601,761 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $40,234,211 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $20,951,719 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $903,136 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $532,632 |
| Benefits paid out | $35,798,516 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $405.6M / $500.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,913 / 5,648 |
| Participants with account balances | 6,061 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Rubinbrown, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $448,378 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $345,790 reported compensation |
| Onedigital Investment Advisors LLC | $84,254 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250905132414NAL0017230977001, received 2025-09-05, EIN 03-0550887, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.