Blue River Petcare Group, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Blue River Petcare Group, LLC 401(k) Plan
Chicago, ILProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services3,056 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,191Employer $ per active participant
$3,158Employee $ saved per active participant
0.51%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$67.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$28,893Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity12.0 / 5024th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost3.2 / 2513th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.6 / 1517th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score18 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (231 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 24th |
| Lower admin cost | 13th |
| Employee saving | 17th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $309,908 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Blue River Petcare Group put in about $1,191 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,951). 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 (0.51% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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.
- 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 | $3,640,054 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $9,649,950 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,536,124 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $299,412 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $158,792 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,980,925 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $50.4M / $67.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,013 / 3,099 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,351 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Plante Moran |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Morgan Stanley Smith Barney | $158,792 reported compensation |
| Alliance Pension Consultants, LLC | $140,617 reported compensation |
| Charles Schwab Trust Bank | $70,596 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250923133905NAL0005741169001, received 2025-09-23, EIN 35-2489124, plan #101, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.