Graeter's Manufacturing Co. 401(k) Review & Grade
Graeter's Manufacturing Co. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Cincinnati, OHManufacturing565 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$500Employer $ per active participant
$1,949Employee $ saved per active participant
0.32%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$11.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$34,052Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity3.4 / 507th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.6 / 2538th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.6 / 1511th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score25 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 7th |
| Lower admin cost | 38th |
| Employee saving | 11th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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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
- Graeter's Manufacturing put in about $500 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.
- 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 | $282,560 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,101,172 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $213,858 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $35,183 |
| Contract administrator fees | $26,620 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $8,563 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,067,930 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $10.3M / $11.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 517 / 613 |
| Participants with account balances | 345 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Clark Schaeffer Hackett |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $21,117 reported compensation |
| Transamerica Financial Life Company | $7,747 reported compensation |
| Mcgregor & Associates, Inc | $7,338 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015215500NAL0011347058001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 31-0586812, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.