Great Dane LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Great Dane LLC Employee's Retirement Savings Plan
Chicago, ILManufacturing4,739 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,048Employer $ per active participant
$4,153Employee $ saved per active participant
0.09%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$256.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$48,916Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity14.2 / 5028th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.1 / 2560th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.9 / 1526th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score43 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 28th |
| Lower admin cost | 60th |
| Employee saving | 26th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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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
- Great Dane put in about $2,048 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,452). 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.
- 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.
- 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 | $9,705,780 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $19,680,433 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,076,101 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $216,829 |
| Contract administrator fees | $216,829 |
| Benefits paid out | $30,795,923 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $224.3M / $256.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,933 / 4,545 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,234 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $216,829 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251002164800NAL0000433027001, received 2025-10-02, EIN 36-4120610, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.