Kohler Co. & Subsidiaries 401(k) Review & Grade
Kohler Co. 401(k) Savings Plan
Kohler, WIManufacturing5,351 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$947Employer $ per active participant
$3,337Employee $ saved per active participant
0.29%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$263.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$49,300Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity5.3 / 5011th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.1 / 2524th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.6 / 1518th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score21 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 11th |
| Lower admin cost | 24th |
| Employee saving | 18th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,267 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 $947 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 (0.29% 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 | $5,067,831 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $17,856,361 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $310,721 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $843,280 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $472,560 |
| Other admin expenses | $37,975 |
| Benefits paid out | $39,273,811 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $326.4M / $263.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 5,995 / 4,707 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,352 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Clifton Larson Allen LLP |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014135714NAL0006288146001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 39-0402810, plan #007, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.