Grafton School Incorporated 401(k) Review & Grade
Grafton School, Inc. 401k Plan
Winchester, VAEducational Services694 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$788Employer $ per active participant
$1,838Employee $ saved per active participant
0.45%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$20.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$28,067Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity15.0 / 5030th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.7 / 2527th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.4 / 1529th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score29 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Educational Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (144 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 30th |
| Lower admin cost | 27th |
| Employee saving | 29th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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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
- Grafton School Incorporated put in about $788 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,225). 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.
- 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 | $546,919 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,276,190 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $187,621 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $87,899 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $45,575 |
| Other admin expenses | $27,629 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,079,796 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $19.1M / $20.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 657 / 732 |
| Participants with account balances | 724 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Blue & Co, LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Shepherd Financial Investment Advis | $44,032 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Co of Ame | $14,695 reported compensation |
| American United Life Insurance Co | $10,663 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014221840NAL0003664033001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 54-0682401, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.