Kadant Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The Kadant Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Westford, MAManufacturing1,212 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,663Employer $ per active participant
$7,858Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$207.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$121,033Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity40.3 / 5081th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost22.4 / 2589th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.9 / 1579th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score82 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 81th |
| Lower admin cost | 89th |
| Employee saving | 79th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $4,606 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Kadant put in about $4,663 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,320). 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 | $5,651,224 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $9,523,338 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $12,054,070 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $83,365 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $38,557 |
| Other admin expenses | $35,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $23,830,793 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $177.5M / $207.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,047 / 1,377 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,716 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $2,721,626 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $38,557 reported compensation |
| Agilispartnersllc | $35,000 reported compensation |
| Cliftonlarsonallen LLP | $16,800 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250922151138NAL0004858497001, received 2025-09-22, EIN 52-1762325, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.