Casella Waste Systems, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Casella Waste Systems 401(k) Plan
Rutland, VTAdministrative, Support & Staffing Services3,552 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,174Employer $ per active participant
$4,428Employee $ saved per active participant
0.21%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$160.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$40,066Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity37.1 / 5074th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.4 / 2533th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.1 / 1581th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score65 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Administrative, Support & Staffing Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (125 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 74th |
| Lower admin cost | 33th |
| Employee saving | 81th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 22% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,321 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Casella Waste Systems put in about $1,174 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($342). 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 (0.21% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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 | $4,170,405 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,728,498 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,751,542 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $307,262 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Benefits paid out | $17,019,027 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $135.1M / $160.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,488 / 3,616 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,016 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdmp Assurance LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $307,262 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015090049NAL0008438722001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 03-0338873, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.