Aspen Aerogels, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Aspen Aerogels, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Northborough, MAManufacturing519 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,067Employer $ per active participant
$8,722Employee $ saved per active participant
0.36%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$40.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$65,205Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity32.1 / 5064th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.5 / 2534th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.7 / 1585th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score60 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 64th |
| Lower admin cost | 34th |
| Employee saving | 85th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $13,549 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Aspen Aerogels put in about $3,067 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.36% 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 | $1,591,938 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,526,725 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $840,174 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $134,031 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $72,335 |
| Benefits paid out | $4,627,432 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $33.4M / $40.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 517 / 521 |
| Participants with account balances | 624 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Aafcpas, Inc |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Global Retirement Partners LLC | $72,335 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Ins Co of America | $61,696 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250801092909NAL0009896176001, received 2025-08-01, EIN 04-3559972, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.