A.w. Chesterton Company 401(k) Review & Grade
A. W. Chesterton Company 401k Plan
Groveland, MAManufacturing619 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,193Employer $ per active participant
$7,935Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$139.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$165,227Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity23.7 / 5047th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.0 / 2580th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.0 / 1580th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score66 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 47th |
| Lower admin cost | 80th |
| Employee saving | 80th |
| 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
- A.w. Chesterton put in about $2,193 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). 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.
- 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 | $1,357,430 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,911,692 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,635,931 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $102,620 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $99,357 |
| Benefits paid out | $15,914,957 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $126.1M / $139.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 575 / 663 |
| Participants with account balances | 847 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cbiz Cpas P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Usi Advisors | $50,276 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $49,081 reported compensation |
| Cbiz MHM, LLC | $24,250 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250930150152NAL0029609442001, received 2025-09-30, EIN 04-1173400, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.