The Buckle, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Buckle 401(k) Plan
Kearney, NERetail Trade2,838 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$988Employer $ per active participant
$3,132Employee $ saved per active participant
0.17%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$201.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$58,780Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity32.1 / 5064th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost9.9 / 2539th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.0 / 1566th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score59 / 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 | 64th |
| Lower admin cost | 39th |
| Employee saving | 66th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,445 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Buckle put in about $988 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($650). 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 | $2,803,192 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,889,143 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $640,572 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $330,293 |
| Contract administrator fees | $330,293 |
| Benefits paid out | $14,293,003 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $178.3M / $201.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,893 / 2,783 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,422 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Deloitte & Touche LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $20,612,346 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $241,430 reported compensation |
| Capfinancial Partners LLC | $177,726 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009113039NAL0015933074001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 47-0366193, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.