Freese and Nichols, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The Retirement Plan and Trust for the Employees of Freese and Nichols, Inc.
Fort Worth, TXProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,200 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,136Employer $ per active participant
$11,673Employee $ saved per active participant
0.09%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$274.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$174,221Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity40.0 / 5080th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.0 / 2576th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.7 / 1572th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score73 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 80th |
| Lower admin cost | 76th |
| Employee saving | 72th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
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
- Freese and Nichols put in about $6,136 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,082). 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 | $7,362,777 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $14,007,981 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $995,098 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $237,357 |
| Other admin expenses | $237,357 |
| Benefits paid out | $20,132,861 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $241.2M / $274.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,139 / 1,261 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,576 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $200,945 reported compensation |
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $36,620 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251003113938NAL0000781443001, received 2025-10-03, EIN 75-1531935, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.