Acorn Engineering Company, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Acorn Engineering Company, Inc. 401(k) Plan
City of Industry, CAManufacturing674 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$181Employer $ per active participant
$2,542Employee $ saved per active participant
0.31%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$34.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$59,004Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity1.5 / 503th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.7 / 2539th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.6 / 1518th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score7 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 3th |
| Lower admin cost | 39th |
| Employee saving | 18th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($21,843 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Acorn Engineering Company put in about $181 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 reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $122,328 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,714,471 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $172,850 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $101,514 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $101,514 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,501,201 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $30.3M / $34.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 680 / 669 |
| Participants with account balances | 581 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Beach Freeman Lim & Cleland, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| LPL Financial | $91,179 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $10,336 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250729141222NAL0004043120001, received 2025-07-29, EIN 95-1864304, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.