El Rancho Corp. 401(k) Review & Grade
Mexico Foods 401(k) Plan
Addison, TXWholesale Trade2,555 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$190Employer $ per active participant
$246Employee $ saved per active participant
0.12%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$8.0MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity1.5 / 503th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost13.0 / 2552th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.3 / 152th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score8 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Wholesale Trade plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (103 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 3th |
| Lower admin cost | 52th |
| Employee saving | 2th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($19,739 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- El Rancho put in about $190 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,459). 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 reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $485,604 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $627,935 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | – |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $8,601 |
| Contract administrator fees | $8,601 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,081,052 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $6.9M / $8.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,807 / 2,303 |
| Participants with account balances | 230 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Cohnreznick LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $8,601 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260401110623NAL0000592051001, received 2026-04-01, EIN 20-8766401, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.