Kern Ridge Growers LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Kern Ridge Growers LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan & Trust
Arvin, CAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services843 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500-SF filing · How we grade
$7Employer $ per active participant
$49Employee $ saved per active participant
1.29%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$89,728Net plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity2.8 / 506th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost0.9 / 254th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.2 / 151th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-5 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score2 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 6th |
| Lower admin cost | 4th |
| Employee saving | 1th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
No fidelity bond: the plan reported it was not covered by a fidelity bond, which protects participants against theft.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Kern Ridge Growers put in about $7 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,082). 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 (1.29% 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 | $5,644 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $41,433 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $0 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $864 |
| Benefits paid out | $6,419 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $43,766 / $89,728 |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 832 / 854 |
| Participants with account balances | 42 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500-SF filing, acknowledgment ID 20250731185113NAL0009019152001, received 2025-07-31, EIN 77-0443630, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.