Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Bob's Red Mill 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Milwaukie, ORManufacturing694 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,620Employer $ per active participant
$5,030Employee $ saved per active participant
0.41%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$39.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$51,597Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity28.1 / 5056th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.3 / 2529th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.8 / 1552th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score43 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 56th |
| Lower admin cost | 29th |
| Employee saving | 52th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($24 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods put in about $2,620 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,320). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.41% 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.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $1,817,993 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,490,703 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,086,804 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $152,976 |
| Contract administrator fees | $152,976 |
| Benefits paid out | $6,160,031 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $34.7M / $39.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 707 / 681 |
| Participants with account balances | 758 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Aldrich Cpas + Advisors LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $152,976 reported compensation |
| Cambridge Investment Research Advis | $61,901 reported compensation |
| Morningstar Investment Management L | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250915134048NAL0001159057001, received 2025-09-15, EIN 93-1014460, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.