Colony Brands, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Colony Brands, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan
Monroe, WIRetail Trade1,958 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,858Employer $ per active participant
$4,383Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$186.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$81,233Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity41.6 / 5083th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.9 / 2580th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.8 / 1572th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score79 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 83th |
| Lower admin cost | 80th |
| Employee saving | 72th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $8,201 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Colony Brands put in about $1,858 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($743). 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 | $3,636,161 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,580,697 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,818,360 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $140,131 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $60,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $26,674,140 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $174.8M / $186.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,005 / 1,910 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,290 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | RSM US LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Transamerica Retirement Solutions | $80,131 reported compensation |
| Morgan Stanley Global Banking | $60,000 reported compensation |
| National Financial Services | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013103448NAL0000485811003, received 2025-10-13, EIN 39-0869862, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.