Northgate Gonzalez Markets, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Northgate Gonzalez Markets, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Anaheim, CARetail Trade6,687 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$632Employer $ per active participant
$1,783Employee $ saved per active participant
0.35%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$125.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$17,081Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity24.5 / 5049th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.7 / 2519th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.4 / 1543th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score46 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (183 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 49th |
| Lower admin cost | 19th |
| Employee saving | 43th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
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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
- Northgate Gonzalez Markets put in about $632 per active participant, below the typical peer ($650). 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 (0.35% 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 | $4,224,116 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $11,925,124 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $450,936 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $409,065 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $48,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $10,231,433 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $106.9M / $125.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 5,485 / 7,889 |
| Participants with account balances | 7,366 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $361,115 reported compensation |
| Towers Watson Investment Services | $40,000 reported compensation |
| Willis Towers Watson | $8,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250930121250NAL0016470115001, received 2025-09-30, EIN 33-0834131, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.