Ceres Environmental Services Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Ceres Environmental Services 401k Profit Sharing Plan
Sarasota, FLManufacturing628 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$703Employer $ per active participant
$1,501Employee $ saved per active participant
0.27%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$9.2MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity5.2 / 5010th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost11.1 / 2544th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.0 / 157th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score14 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 10th |
| Lower admin cost | 44th |
| Employee saving | 7th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($451,998 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $10,357 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Ceres Environmental Services put in about $703 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). 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.
- 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.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $441,320 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $942,454 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | – |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $23,071 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $20,695 |
| Benefits paid out | $904,205 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $7.8M / $9.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 546 / 710 |
| Participants with account balances | 168 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| American United Life Insurance Co | $44,729 reported compensation |
| Usi Advisors | $20,695 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260923134026NAL0014920882001, received 2026-09-23, EIN 41-1816075, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.