Guardian Industries Holdings, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Futureguard
Auburn Hills, MIManufacturing4,222 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,129Employer $ per active participant
$6,309Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$623.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$108,219Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity30.4 / 5061th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.6 / 2578th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.9 / 1553th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score65 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 61th |
| Lower admin cost | 78th |
| Employee saving | 53th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $34,251 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Guardian Industries Holdings put in about $4,129 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 | $17,433,566 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $26,639,022 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,860,571 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $305,949 |
| Contract administrator fees | $5,400 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $135,277 |
| Other admin expenses | $43,697 |
| Benefits paid out | $74,925,771 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $580.5M / $623.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,247 / 4,198 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,758 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cbiz Cpas P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $135,277 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $106,896 reported compensation |
| Cbiz Cpas P.C. | $21,919 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009114551NAL0003875283001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 81-4211184, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.