Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Vitamin Cottage Employee 401(k) Plan
Lakewood, CORetail Trade3,880 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$355Employer $ per active participant
$1,838Employee $ saved per active participant
0.62%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$62.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$13,697Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity13.7 / 5027th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.4 / 259th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.0 / 1547th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score30 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (183 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 27th |
| Lower admin cost | 9th |
| Employee saving | 47th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 42% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $33,968 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets put in about $355 per active participant, below the typical peer ($650). 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 (0.62% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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 | $1,378,909 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,131,812 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $294,071 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $352,375 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $52,462 |
| Benefits paid out | $5,390,580 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $52.1M / $62.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,856 / 3,904 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,544 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $273,621 reported compensation |
| Innovest Portfolio Solutions LLC | $52,462 reported compensation |
| Bdo USA, LLP | $26,292 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250807120137NAL0003684819001, received 2025-08-07, EIN 84-1444517, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.