C.N. Brown Company 401(k) Review & Grade
C.N. Brown Co. 401(k) Plan
South Paris, MEWholesale Trade658 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$679Employer $ per active participant
$1,675Employee $ saved per active participant
0.60%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$14.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$23,800Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity6.5 / 5013th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.4 / 2518th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.4 / 159th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score19 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (603 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 13th |
| Lower admin cost | 18th |
| Employee saving | 9th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 53% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $29,392 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- C.N. Brown put in about $679 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,792). 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 (0.60% 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 | $447,323 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,102,672 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $25,460 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $81,628 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $33,906 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,164,669 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $12.8M / $14.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 694 / 623 |
| Participants with account balances | 612 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdmp Assurance, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $47,722 reported compensation |
| Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith | $27,195 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $6,711 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250731121502NAL0003048563001, received 2025-07-31, EIN 01-0203275, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.