Wholestone Farms Cooperative Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Wholestone Farms Cooperative Bargained Employees 401(k) Plan
Fremont, NEManufacturing1,060 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$804Employer $ per active participant
$1,076Employee $ saved per active participant
0.40%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$27.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$44,648Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity6.2 / 5012th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.7 / 2531th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.6 / 154th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score25 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 12th |
| Lower admin cost | 31th |
| Employee saving | 4th |
| 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
- Wholestone Farms Cooperative put in about $804 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 (0.40% 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 | $852,340 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,139,528 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $14,930 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $109,223 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $25,939 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,432,354 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $27.0M / $27.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,099 / 1,020 |
| Participants with account balances | 625 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Crowe LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $1,965,508 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $83,284 reported compensation |
| Vpag LLC DBA Visionpoint Advisory G | $25,939 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251006142640NAL0003551057001, received 2025-10-06, EIN 83-1174153, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.