Wood Ranch USA, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Wood Ranch 401(k) Plan
Westlake Village, CAAccommodation & Food Services1,008 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$497Employer $ per active participant
$803Employee $ saved per active participant
0.50%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$3.6MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity35.7 / 5071th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost5.8 / 2523th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.4 / 1549th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score49 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (458 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 71th |
| Lower admin cost | 23th |
| Employee saving | 49th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 17% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $3,385 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Wood Ranch USA put in about $497 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($266). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.50% 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 | $501,213 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $809,729 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $37,436 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $14,370 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $10,010 |
| Benefits paid out | $152,651 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.1M / $3.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,024 / 992 |
| Participants with account balances | 205 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Pension Assurance LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith | $10,046 reported compensation |
| Adp, Inc. | $4,360 reported compensation |
| Adp Broker-Dealer | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015171929NAL0010514242001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 37-1417089, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.