Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Awg, Inc Restated 401(k) Plan
Kansas City, KSWholesale Trade2,828 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$7,147Employer $ per active participant
$5,684Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$311.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$92,315Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity46.6 / 5093th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.6 / 2571th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.5 / 1550th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score79 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (103 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 93th |
| Lower admin cost | 71th |
| Employee saving | 50th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,932 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Associated Wholesale Grocers put in about $7,147 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,459). 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 | $20,213,014 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $16,075,452 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,121,083 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $189,747 |
| Other admin expenses | $40,531 |
| Benefits paid out | $33,417,652 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $273.3M / $311.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,892 / 2,764 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,370 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Pickett, Chaney & Mcmullen LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and S | $136,691 reported compensation |
| Pickett, Chaney & Mcmullen LLP | $12,525 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250909142628NAL0012640739001, received 2025-09-09, EIN 48-0614866, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.