The John Stewart Company 401(k) Review & Grade
The John Stewart Company 401(k) Plan
San Francisco, CAReal Estate & Rental1,432 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,020Employer $ per active participant
$4,102Employee $ saved per active participant
0.38%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$66.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$36,468Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity20.9 / 5042th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.1 / 2532th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.4 / 1556th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score44 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Real Estate & Rental plans with 500–2,499 active participants (291 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 42th |
| Lower admin cost | 32th |
| Employee saving | 56th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $51,198 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- John Stewart put in about $1,020 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,279). 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 (0.38% 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.
- 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 | $1,461,080 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $5,876,237 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $236,081 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $236,278 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $38,860 |
| Benefits paid out | $6,531,941 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $57.8M / $66.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,510 / 1,355 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,826 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Perotti & Carrade CPA |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Transamerica Retirement Solutions | $178,418 reported compensation |
| Sageview Advisory Group, LLC | $38,860 reported compensation |
| Perotti and Carrade | $19,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250826094052NAL0016856946001, received 2025-08-26, EIN 94-2477073, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.