Cuisine Solutions, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Cuisine Solutions, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Sterling, VAManufacturing806 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$349Employer $ per active participant
$1,307Employee $ saved per active participant
0.50%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$17.0MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity2.2 / 504th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost5.8 / 2523th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.8 / 155th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score9 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 4th |
| Lower admin cost | 23th |
| Employee saving | 5th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $149,327 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Cuisine Solutions put in about $349 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.50% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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.
- 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 | $281,443 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,054,098 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $48,584 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $76,296 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $60,794 |
| Benefits paid out | $298,004 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $13.7M / $17.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 794 / 819 |
| Participants with account balances | 370 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | The Nair Group LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Global Retirement Partners LLC | $37,734 reported compensation |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $23,060 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $15,502 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013134103NAL0002106256001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 52-0948383, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.