Ashton Woods USA, LLC. 401(k) Review & Grade
Ashton Woods Homes Retirement Savings Plan
Alpharetta, GAConstruction1,243 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,050Employer $ per active participant
$8,380Employee $ saved per active participant
0.12%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$118.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$66,948Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity38.0 / 5076th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.2 / 2569th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.1 / 1588th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score68 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Construction plans with 500–2,499 active participants (498 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 76th |
| Lower admin cost | 69th |
| Employee saving | 88th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 44% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $255 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ashton Woods USA put in about $3,050 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,672). 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.
- 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 | $3,791,698 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,416,397 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $826,092 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $133,582 |
| Contract administrator fees | $15,825 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $113,757 |
| Other admin expenses | $4,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $7,921,451 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $97.1M / $118.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,174 / 1,312 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,768 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Windham Brannon, LLC. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Northwestern Mutual Investment S | $75,000 reported compensation |
| Voya Retirement Insurance & Annuity | $23,969 reported compensation |
| Voya Retirement Advisors, LLC | $22,636 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010130437NAL0007755009001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 37-1590746, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.