Dick Browning, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Browning 401(k) Savings Plan
Cerritos, CARetail Trade650 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$556Employer $ per active participant
$4,172Employee $ saved per active participant
0.48%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$31.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$40,694Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity19.9 / 5040th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.2 / 2525th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.3 / 1569th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score46 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 500–2,499 active participants (719 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 40th |
| Lower admin cost | 25th |
| Employee saving | 69th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- Dick Browning put in about $556 per active participant, below the typical peer ($743). 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 (0.48% 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.
- 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 | $361,572 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,713,968 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $102,397 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $146,006 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $59,982 |
| Other admin expenses | $8,860 |
| Benefits paid out | $5,867,197 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $30.4M / $31.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 665 / 636 |
| Participants with account balances | 763 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Windes |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $77,164 reported compensation |
| Accelerate Investment Advisors LLC | $59,982 reported compensation |
| NFP Retirement Inc. | $8,860 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250822142051NAL0009108304001, received 2025-08-22, EIN 95-2135880, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.