Desert Financial Credit Union 401(k) Review & Grade
Desert Financial Credit Union 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
Phoenix, AZFinance & Insurance1,242 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,479Employer $ per active participant
$5,779Employee $ saved per active participant
0.16%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$131.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$84,328Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity39.8 / 5080th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.2 / 2561th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.8 / 1532th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score70 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 80th |
| Lower admin cost | 61th |
| Employee saving | 32th |
| 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
- Desert Financial Credit Union put in about $6,479 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,606). 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 | $8,043,651 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,174,085 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $6,011,311 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $193,552 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $54,279 |
| Benefits paid out | $12,692,528 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $106.9M / $131.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,218 / 1,265 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,562 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Doeren Mayhew Assurance |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $139,273 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $54,279 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250730170521NAL0011055266001, received 2025-07-30, EIN 86-0096740, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.