New England Biolabs, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
New England Biolabs, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Ipswich, MAManufacturing570 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,488Employer $ per active participant
$8,469Employee $ saved per active participant
0.10%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$166.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$281,646Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity44.9 / 5090th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.3 / 2573th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.5 / 1583th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score76 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 90th |
| Lower admin cost | 73th |
| Employee saving | 83th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $4,802 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- New England Biolabs put in about $6,488 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,320). 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.
- 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 | $3,694,918 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,823,306 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,320,788 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $159,040 |
| Contract administrator fees | $159,040 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,665,891 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $139.2M / $166.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 562 / 577 |
| Participants with account balances | 590 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Caron & Bletzer |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $159,039 reported compensation |
| Morgan Stanley | $45,000 reported compensation |
| Caron & Bletzer | $12,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260714121014NAL0002049234001, received 2026-07-14, EIN 04-2631963, plan #004, plan year 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30. Verify at efast.dol.gov.