Hecla Mining Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Hecla Mining Company Capital Accumulation Plan
Coeur Dalene, IDMining, Oil & Gas738 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,411Employer $ per active participant
$10,415Employee $ saved per active participant
0.02%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$162.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$139,834Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity33.2 / 5066th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.7 / 2595th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.2 / 1581th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score76 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Mining, Oil & Gas plans with 500–2,499 active participants (129 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 66th |
| Lower admin cost | 95th |
| Employee saving | 81th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 60% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,924 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Hecla Mining put in about $6,411 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($4,357). 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.
- 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 | $4,730,980 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,686,430 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $143,478 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $34,011 |
| Other admin expenses | $34,011 |
| Benefits paid out | $18,923,668 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $150.2M / $162.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 747 / 729 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,165 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
| Employer stock held by plan | $19,749,966 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $41,061 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250725145631NAL0008963184001, received 2025-07-25, EIN 77-0664171, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.