Cottingham and Butler Insurance Services, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Cottingham and Butler Insurance Services, Inc. Profit Sharing & Savings Plan
Dubuque, IAFinance & Insurance1,304 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,965Employer $ per active participant
$6,334Employee $ saved per active participant
0.02%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$213.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$131,648Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity33.1 / 5066th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.8 / 2595th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.1 / 1541th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score66 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 66th |
| Lower admin cost | 95th |
| Employee saving | 41th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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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
- Cottingham and Butler Insurance Services put in about $4,965 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,606). 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.
- 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 | $6,471,922 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,256,220 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,181,475 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $42,993 |
| Other admin expenses | $42,993 |
| Benefits paid out | $12,386,770 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $185.2M / $213.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,291 / 1,316 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,625 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Eide Bailly LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $47,343 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250729115136NAL0005769698001, received 2025-07-29, EIN 42-0198040, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.