Fisher-Barton Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The Fisher Barton Group Retirement Plan
Watertown, WIManufacturing526 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,230Employer $ per active participant
$4,947Employee $ saved per active participant
0.45%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$40.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$56,071Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity24.2 / 5048th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.7 / 2527th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.6 / 1550th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score46 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 48th |
| Lower admin cost | 27th |
| Employee saving | 50th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $10,562 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Fisher-Barton put in about $2,230 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). 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 (0.45% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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 | $1,174,263 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,604,584 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $864,071 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $168,025 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $18,895 |
| Other admin expenses | $56,240 |
| Benefits paid out | $4,356,790 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $35.4M / $40.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 545 / 508 |
| Participants with account balances | 713 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Vrakas S.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $77,890 reported compensation |
| Francis LLC | $56,240 reported compensation |
| Vrakas S.C. | $15,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251001094721NAL0013018593001, received 2025-10-01, EIN 20-3208428, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.