Kohler Co. & Subsidiaries 401(k) Review & Grade
Kohler Co. 401(k) Savings Plan for Administrative Associates
Kohler, WIManufacturing4,065 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,906Employer $ per active participant
$10,125Employee $ saved per active participant
0.19%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$781.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$156,708Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity21.2 / 5042th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.0 / 2536th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.1 / 1581th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score49 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 42th |
| Lower admin cost | 36th |
| Employee saving | 81th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,715 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Kohler Co. & Subsidiaries put in about $2,906 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.19% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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.
- 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 | $11,812,951 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $41,157,886 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,176,607 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,583,151 |
| Contract administrator fees | $795,185 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $748,598 |
| Other admin expenses | $8,700 |
| Benefits paid out | $77,937,942 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $854.0M / $781.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,526 / 3,604 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,986 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Clifton Larson Allen LLP |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014134011NAL0002916849001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 39-0402810, plan #006, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.