Insteel Industries , Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Insteel Industries, Inc Retirement Savings Plan
Mount Airy, NCManufacturing852 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,316Employer $ per active participant
$4,979Employee $ saved per active participant
0.13%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$76.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$73,323Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity24.9 / 5050th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost16.7 / 2567th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.7 / 1551th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score59 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 50th |
| Lower admin cost | 67th |
| Employee saving | 51th |
| 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
- Insteel Industries put in about $2,316 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.
- 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 | $1,974,447 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,244,887 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $257,812 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $95,641 |
| Other admin expenses | $2,446 |
| Benefits paid out | $7,540,235 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $68.4M / $76.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 814 / 891 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,048 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Smith Leonard PLLC |
| Employer stock held by plan | $5,215,471 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Oneamerica Retirement Services LLC | $95,641 reported compensation |
| Matrix Trust Company N.A. | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260403122738NAL0004824675001, received 2026-04-03, EIN 56-0674867, plan #002, plan year 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30. Verify at efast.dol.gov.