E. & J. Gallo Winery 401(k) Review & Grade
E. & J. Gallo Winery Retirement Plan
Modesto, CAManufacturing4,640 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$8,820Employer $ per active participant
$10,260Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.8BNet plan assets, end of year
$247,364Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity45.9 / 5092th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.5 / 2574th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.3 / 1582th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score84 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 92th |
| Lower admin cost | 74th |
| Employee saving | 82th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,300 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- E. & J. Gallo Winery put in about $8,820 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,452). 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 | $40,922,621 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $47,604,498 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,667,234 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $986,842 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $689,005 |
| Benefits paid out | $145,799,786 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.6B / $1.8B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,667 / 4,613 |
| Participants with account balances | 7,087 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffmanllp |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $689,005 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $322,687 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250922115840NAL0004679393001, received 2025-09-22, EIN 94-1009696, plan #011, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.