West Liberty Foods, L.L.C. 401(k) Review & Grade
West Liberty Foods, L.L.C. Employee Savings Plan
West Liberty, IAManufacturing1,931 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$118Employer $ per active participant
$2,518Employee $ saved per active participant
0.57%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$51.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$24,659Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity1.3 / 503th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.8 / 2519th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.6 / 1517th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score16 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 3th |
| Lower admin cost | 19th |
| Employee saving | 17th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $46,305 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- West Liberty Foods put in about $118 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). 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 (0.57% 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 | $228,508 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,862,155 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $96,796 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $299,354 |
| Contract administrator fees | $299,354 |
| Benefits paid out | $13,315,674 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $53.6M / $51.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,915 / 1,947 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,083 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bt&co., P.A. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $299,354 reported compensation |
| Global Retirement Partners LLC | $50,833 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251007152637NAL0002576323001, received 2025-10-07, EIN 20-0793410, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.