The Cooper Companies, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The Cooper Companies, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan
San Ramon, CAManufacturing4,072 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,679Employer $ per active participant
$9,031Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$487.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$94,547Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity19.7 / 5039th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.7 / 2563th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.2 / 1574th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score54 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 39th |
| Lower admin cost | 63th |
| Employee saving | 74th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $19,186 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Cooper Companies put in about $2,679 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,452). 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.
- 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 | $10,908,124 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $36,769,835 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,947,056 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $377,699 |
| Benefits paid out | $46,264,611 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $420.0M / $487.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,977 / 4,166 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,157 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Transamerica Retirement Solutions | $377,699 reported compensation |
| National Financial Services | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250815123351NAL0010493665001, received 2025-08-15, EIN 94-2657368, plan #102, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.