Goellner, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Goellner, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan
Machesney Park, ILManufacturing738 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,113Employer $ per active participant
$2,680Employee $ saved per active participant
0.41%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$24.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$28,010Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity9.8 / 5020th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.3 / 2529th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.9 / 1519th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score23 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 20th |
| Lower admin cost | 29th |
| Employee saving | 19th |
| 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
- Goellner put in about $1,113 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 (0.41% 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 | $821,006 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,976,858 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $45,368 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $95,095 |
| Contract administrator fees | $34,532 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $13,967 |
| Other admin expenses | $12,133 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,738,998 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $21.7M / $24.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 586 / 889 |
| Participants with account balances | 871 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Clifton Larson Allen |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| July Business Services LLC | $68,995 reported compensation |
| Htlf Retirement Plan Services | $13,967 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014141522NAL0001484707001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 36-4348436, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.