Noodles & Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Noodles & Company 401(k) Plan
Broomfield, COAccommodation & Food Services3,856 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$96Employer $ per active participant
$624Employee $ saved per active participant
0.60%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$25.5MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity13.6 / 5027th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.4 / 2510th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.7 / 1545th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score26 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (104 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 27th |
| Lower admin cost | 10th |
| Employee saving | 45th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 15% |
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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
- Noodles & put in about $96 per active participant, below the typical peer ($244). 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 (0.60% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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 | $369,464 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,408,046 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $103,057 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $144,542 |
| Contract administrator fees | $79,750 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $58,912 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,365,602 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $23.1M / $25.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,867 / 3,846 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,172 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Stancorp Financial Group | $148,199 reported compensation |
| NFP Retirement Inc | $62,842 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250925150511NAL0007753153001, received 2025-09-25, EIN 84-1303469, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.