Whelen Engineering Company, Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Whelen Engineering Company, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Chester, CTManufacturing1,682 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,579Employer $ per active participant
$4,978Employee $ saved per active participant
0.01%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$186.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$94,652Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity27.6 / 5055th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost24.3 / 2597th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.7 / 1551th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score63 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 55th |
| Lower admin cost | 97th |
| Employee saving | 51th |
| 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
- Whelen Engineering Company put in about $2,579 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.
- 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 | $4,337,574 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,372,861 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,592,603 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $21,562 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Benefits paid out | $7,422,769 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $158.2M / $186.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,528 / 1,836 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,966 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Wollacklewitz |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $21,562 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251003143058NAL0001513793001, received 2025-10-03, EIN 06-0725110, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.