The North West Company International, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The North West Company (international), Inc. Employee Savings Plan
Anchorage, AKRetail Trade1,342 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$671Employer $ per active participant
$1,287Employee $ saved per active participant
0.38%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$28.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$41,302Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity23.3 / 5047th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.1 / 2532th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.1 / 1521th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score38 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 47th |
| Lower admin cost | 32th |
| Employee saving | 21th |
| 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
- North West Company International put in about $671 per active participant, below the typical peer ($743). 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 (0.38% 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 | $900,432 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,726,918 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $224,275 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $101,167 |
| Contract administrator fees | $77,180 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $23,987 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,703,098 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $25.0M / $28.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,383 / 1,300 |
| Participants with account balances | 686 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Eide Bailly LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $77,180 reported compensation |
| Usi Advisors, Inc. | $24,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013154647NAL0001548961001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 92-0144184, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.