The Shepherd Material Science Company 401(k) Review & Grade
The Shepherd 401(k) Plan
Norwood, OHManufacturing506 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,871Employer $ per active participant
$7,305Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$132.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$191,406Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity40.9 / 5082th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.5 / 2582th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.4 / 1576th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score83 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 82th |
| Lower admin cost | 82th |
| Employee saving | 76th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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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
- Shepherd Material Science put in about $4,871 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,320). 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 | $2,464,638 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,696,342 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $330,405 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $85,969 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $30,400 |
| Other admin expenses | $55,436 |
| Benefits paid out | $12,279,303 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $119.9M / $132.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 488 / 524 |
| Participants with account balances | 690 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Flynn & Company |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Sageview | $55,000 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $30,400 reported compensation |
| Flynn & Company | $18,400 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250829122245NAL0006202995001, received 2025-08-29, EIN 31-0989650, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.