Cal Ark International Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Cal Ark International Inc 401(k) Plan
Mabelvale, ARTransportation & Warehousing513 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$145Employer $ per active participant
$927Employee $ saved per active participant
0.60%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$5.6MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity4.3 / 509th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.4 / 2518th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.8 / 1512th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score14 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 9th |
| Lower admin cost | 18th |
| Employee saving | 12th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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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
- Cal Ark International put in about $145 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,070). 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.
- 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 | $74,272 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $475,652 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $27,089 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $31,528 |
| Contract administrator fees | $31,528 |
| Benefits paid out | $656,653 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $5.0M / $5.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 560 / 466 |
| Participants with account balances | 152 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Little Shaneyfelt Marshall & Co. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $31,527 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013143735NAL0000717731001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 74-2680532, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.