Fernandez Holdings, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Fernandez Holdings, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Pacific Palisades, CAManagement of Companies3,045 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,680Employer $ per active participant
$4,018Employee $ saved per active participant
0.53%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$121.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$58,808Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity9.3 / 5019th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.0 / 2512th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.8 / 1519th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score15 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Management of Companies plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (60 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 19th |
| Lower admin cost | 12th |
| Employee saving | 19th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 58% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $293,382 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Fernandez Holdings put in about $1,680 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,455). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- 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 (0.53% 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.
- 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 | $5,114,907 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $12,235,089 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,143,525 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $593,118 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Other admin expenses | $386,466 |
| Benefits paid out | $14,497,892 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $103.8M / $121.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,862 / 3,228 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,064 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Morganstanleysmithbarneyllc | $386,466 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $192,099 reported compensation |
| Cliftonlarsonallen LLP | $14,553 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015140544NAL0006520400001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 27-5560752, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.