Nishikawa Cooper LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Nishikawa Cooper LLC Retirement Plan
Topeka, INManufacturing1,188 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,600Employer $ per active participant
$3,354Employee $ saved per active participant
0.48%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$64.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$47,156Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity16.5 / 5033th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.2 / 2525th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.1 / 1527th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score27 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 33th |
| Lower admin cost | 25th |
| Employee saving | 27th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $630 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Nishikawa Cooper put in about $1,600 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.48% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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.
- 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 | $1,900,002 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,983,130 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $187,973 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $299,006 |
| Contract administrator fees | $200,606 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $98,400 |
| Benefits paid out | $8,212,821 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $60.4M / $64.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,273 / 1,102 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,375 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | RSM US LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Lincoln National Corporation | $200,606 reported compensation |
| CX Institutional, LLC | $95,961 reported compensation |
| Morningstar | $2,440 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013132043NAL0000646147001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 35-1763958, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.