Driscoll's, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Driscoll's 401(k) Employee Savings Plan
Watsonville, CAAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting1,056 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,648Employer $ per active participant
$10,022Employee $ saved per active participant
0.02%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$170.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$128,268Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity47.0 / 5094th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.5 / 2594th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.6 / 1597th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-23 pts3 issues reported on the filing
Total score72 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting plans with 500–2,499 active participants (118 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 94th |
| Lower admin cost | 94th |
| Employee saving | 97th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($8,285 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $24,003 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Driscoll's put in about $4,648 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($774). 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.
- 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 | $4,907,938 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,583,240 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,264,238 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $39,137 |
| Benefits paid out | $11,718,022 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $143.3M / $170.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,094 / 1,018 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,326 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $39,137 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260223171203NAL0000977235001, received 2026-02-23, EIN 94-1237296, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.