The Farmer's Dog, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The Farmer's Dog 401(k) Plan
New York, NYRetail Trade598 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,937Employer $ per active participant
$7,109Employee $ saved per active participant
0.23%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$20.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$22,956Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity47.1 / 5094th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost12.3 / 2549th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.3 / 1596th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score84 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 94th |
| Lower admin cost | 49th |
| Employee saving | 96th |
| 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
- Farmer's Dog put in about $2,937 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.
- 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 | $1,754,992 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,247,837 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $728,215 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $39,850 |
| Contract administrator fees | $39,850 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,082,294 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $13.0M / $20.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 563 / 632 |
| Participants with account balances | 912 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Russon and Johnston, Cpas |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $39,850 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015135554NAL0009939362001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 47-1576351, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.