Associated Materials, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Associated Materials, LLC 401(k) Retirement Plan
Cuyahoga Falls, OHManufacturing2,956 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,768Employer $ per active participant
$4,438Employee $ saved per active participant
0.17%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$186.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$49,885Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity11.8 / 5024th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost10.1 / 2541th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.5 / 1530th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score33 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 24th |
| Lower admin cost | 41th |
| Employee saving | 30th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $2,172 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Associated Materials put in about $1,768 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,452). 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.
- 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.
- 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 | $5,226,076 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $13,120,086 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,391,223 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $296,334 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $100,878 |
| Benefits paid out | $27,348,898 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $169.4M / $186.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,038 / 2,874 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,728 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bober, Markey, Fedorovich & Company |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Adp, Inc. | $195,455 reported compensation |
| Capfinancial Partners, LLC | $160,357 reported compensation |
| Grant Thornton LLP | $20,700 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009052946NAL0006533841001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 75-1872487, plan #017, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.