Northwest Natural Gas Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Northwest Natural Gas Company Retirement K Savings Plan
Portland, ORUtilities1,228 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$9,063Employer $ per active participant
$13,964Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$343.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$223,904Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity38.5 / 5077th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.9 / 2584th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.9 / 1573th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score80 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Utilities plans with 500–2,499 active participants (75 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 77th |
| Lower admin cost | 84th |
| Employee saving | 73th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 76% |
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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
- Northwest Natural Gas put in about $9,063 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($6,264). 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.
- 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 | $11,134,186 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $17,154,401 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,678,663 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $201,570 |
| Contract administrator fees | $900 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $79,594 |
| Benefits paid out | $23,766,501 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $298.0M / $343.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,193 / 1,264 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,533 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Grant Thornton LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $10,360,750 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $122,902 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $66,368 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250821111137NAL0002049779001, received 2025-08-21, EIN 93-0256722, plan #008, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.