John A. Biewer Company, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
John A. Biewer Company, Inc. 401(k) Plan & Trust
Saint Clair, MIRetail Trade821 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$949Employer $ per active participant
$3,663Employee $ saved per active participant
0.63%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$35.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$41,758Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity29.7 / 5059th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.0 / 2516th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.2 / 1561th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score53 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 59th |
| Lower admin cost | 16th |
| Employee saving | 61th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- John A. Biewer Company put in about $949 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($743). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.63% 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 | $779,535 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,007,342 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $127,687 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $205,161 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $125,949 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,659,432 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $30.2M / $35.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 780 / 862 |
| Participants with account balances | 841 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Plante and Moran PLLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Captrust Investment Advisors | $125,949 reported compensation |
| Milliman, Inc. | $79,212 reported compensation |
| Charles Schwab Trust Bank | $9,037 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250818152144NAL0000727475001, received 2025-08-18, EIN 38-2410540, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.