California Water Service Company 401(k) Review & Grade
California Water Service Company Savings Plan
San Jose, CAUtilities1,278 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,404Employer $ per active participant
$11,835Employee $ saved per active participant
0.01%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$389.4MNet plan assets, end of year
$252,020Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity26.4 / 5053th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost24.5 / 2598th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.1 / 1561th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score70 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Utilities plans with 500–2,499 active participants (75 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 53th |
| Lower admin cost | 98th |
| Employee saving | 61th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 76% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
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
- California Water Service put in about $6,404 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($6,264). 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.
- 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 | $8,181,309 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,119,367 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,170,062 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $32,962 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,500 |
| Benefits paid out | $26,610,407 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $339.6M / $389.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,271 / 1,284 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,545 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Wuhoover & Co. LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $4,997,119 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fid Inv Inst Ops | $31,462 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009202837NAL0007073601001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 94-0362795, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.