The Pepper Companies, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The Pepper Companies, Inc. Retirement and Savings Plan
Barrington, ILConstruction677 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,876Employer $ per active participant
$11,767Employee $ saved per active participant
0.18%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$164.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$145,960Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity44.1 / 5088th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.4 / 2557th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.7 / 1598th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score83 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Construction plans with 500–2,499 active participants (498 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 88th |
| Lower admin cost | 57th |
| Employee saving | 98th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 44% |
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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
- Pepper Companies put in about $4,876 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,672). 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 | $3,301,385 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,965,971 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,880,494 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $282,147 |
| Other admin expenses | $282,147 |
| Benefits paid out | $16,259,907 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $146.6M / $164.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 665 / 689 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,128 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Fgmk, LLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $126,495 reported compensation |
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $77,615 reported compensation |
| Ifp Advisors | $54,314 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015195920NAL0002842387001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 36-3337997, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.