Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Watlow Group 401(k) Plan
ST. Louis, MOManufacturing1,401 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,949Employer $ per active participant
$6,376Employee $ saved per active participant
0.12%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$298.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$148,055Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity45.6 / 5091th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.3 / 2569th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.2 / 1568th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score83 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 91th |
| Lower admin cost | 69th |
| Employee saving | 68th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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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
- Watlow Electric Manufacturing put in about $6,949 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.
- 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 | $9,735,999 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,933,411 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,049,315 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $349,569 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $192,760 |
| Benefits paid out | $37,014,436 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $277.3M / $298.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,371 / 1,431 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,014 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | RSM US LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $104,626 reported compensation |
| Gallagher Benefit Services Inc DBA | $66,000 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $59,547 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014133753NAL0006108082001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 43-0574450, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.