Baxter Credit Union (DBA Bcu) 401(k) Review & Grade
Bcu U.S. Retirement Savings Plan
Vernon Hills, ILFinance & Insurance654 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,930Employer $ per active participant
$7,939Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$33.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$48,442Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity41.5 / 5083th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.5 / 2586th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.9 / 1559th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score82 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 83th |
| Lower admin cost | 86th |
| Employee saving | 59th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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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
- Baxter Credit Union (DBA Bcu) put in about $6,930 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,606). 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 | $4,528,737 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $5,188,286 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $23,111,330 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $17,953 |
| Contract administrator fees | $17,953 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,720,079 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $0 / $33.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 683 / 624 |
| Participants with account balances | 686 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Smith & Howard |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Financial Services, .00 Inc | $12,604 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $5,350 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251021162134NAL0001026529001, received 2025-10-21, EIN 23-7250155, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.