Gilster-Mary Lee 401(k) Review & Grade
Gilster-Mary Lee 401(k) Plan
Chester, ILManufacturing2,372 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$54Employer $ per active participant
$322Employee $ saved per active participant
4.37%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.0MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity0.9 / 502th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost0.1 / 250th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.1 / 151th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score1 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 2th |
| Lower admin cost | 0th |
| Employee saving | 1th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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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
- Gilster-Mary Lee put in about $54 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 (4.37% 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 | $128,796 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $764,959 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | – |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $69,215 |
| Contract administrator fees | $39,909 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $29,306 |
| Benefits paid out | $116,218 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.1M / $2.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,268 / 2,476 |
| Participants with account balances | 400 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Kerber, Eck & Braeckel LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Assured Partners | $29,306 reported compensation |
| Transamerica Life Ins Co | $11,317 reported compensation |
| Benefits Plus | $1,095 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250926075929NAL0009175281001, received 2025-09-26, EIN 37-0951425, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.