Brady Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Brady Matched 401(k) Plan
Milwaukee, WIManufacturing1,634 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,587Employer $ per active participant
$8,819Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$342.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$128,811Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity35.0 / 5070th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.2 / 2581th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.8 / 1585th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score68 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 70th |
| Lower admin cost | 81th |
| Employee saving | 85th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Prohibited transactions: the plan reported non-exempt transactions with a party in interest.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Brady put in about $3,587 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.
- 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 | $5,859,648 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $14,406,219 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $8,989,027 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $237,140 |
| Contract administrator fees | $600 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $52,500 |
| Benefits paid out | $41,089,320 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $309.5M / $342.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,579 / 1,688 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,658 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $156,815 reported compensation |
| Francis Investment Counsel | $52,500 reported compensation |
| Cliftonlarsonallen | $27,825 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014165426NAL0001703715001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 39-0178960, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.