Morning Star Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Morning Star Company 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
Woodland, CAAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting674 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,476Employer $ per active participant
$5,491Employee $ saved per active participant
0.11%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$90.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$176,519Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity38.0 / 5076th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.8 / 2571th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.7 / 1585th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score72 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting plans with 500–2,499 active participants (118 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 76th |
| Lower admin cost | 71th |
| Employee saving | 85th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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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
- Morning Star put in about $2,476 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($774). 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.
- 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 | $1,668,661 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,701,221 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,138,768 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $93,419 |
| Contract administrator fees | $93,419 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,398,701 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $76.2M / $90.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 642 / 706 |
| Participants with account balances | 513 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Demera Demera Cameron LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $99,059 reported compensation |
| Wilshire Advisors LLC | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251003113020NAL0001314225001, received 2025-10-03, EIN 94-2421552, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.