Carl Buddig and Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Carl Buddig and Company Deferred Benefit Plan
Tinley Park, ILManufacturing734 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,365Employer $ per active participant
$5,068Employee $ saved per active participant
0.12%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$123.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$113,506Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity33.8 / 5068th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.5 / 2570th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.8 / 1552th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score69 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 68th |
| Lower admin cost | 70th |
| Employee saving | 52th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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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
- Carl Buddig and put in about $3,365 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 | $2,470,047 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,719,755 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $584,776 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $134,903 |
| Other admin expenses | $134,903 |
| Benefits paid out | $6,843,196 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $107.0M / $123.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 727 / 741 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,088 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $139,225 reported compensation |
| Clifton Larson Allen | $13,965 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250915101633NAL0000646003001, received 2025-09-15, EIN 36-2169888, plan #005, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.