BGF Industries, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
BGF Industries, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan
Altavista, VAManufacturing512 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,222Employer $ per active participant
$3,575Employee $ saved per active participant
0.42%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$34.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$56,803Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity24.0 / 5048th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.2 / 2529th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.6 / 1531th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score46 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 48th |
| Lower admin cost | 29th |
| Employee saving | 31th |
| 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
- BGF Industries put in about $2,222 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.42% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- 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 | $1,137,904 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,830,609 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $0 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $140,799 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $70,994 |
| Benefits paid out | $5,062,466 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $32.9M / $34.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 530 / 494 |
| Participants with account balances | 603 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Smith Leonard |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $70,944 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $69,805 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015093548NAL0004194273001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 56-1600845, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.