Esco Technologies Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Esco Employee Savings Investment Plan
ST. Louis, MOManufacturing2,574 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,501Employer $ per active participant
$8,084Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$508.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$136,377Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity25.6 / 5051th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.1 / 2584th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.3 / 1569th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score64 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 51th |
| Lower admin cost | 84th |
| Employee saving | 69th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $708 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Esco Technologies put in about $3,501 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,452). 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 | $9,013,741 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $20,811,884 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,919,853 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $188,987 |
| Contract administrator fees | $22,570 |
| Other admin expenses | $1,800 |
| Benefits paid out | $38,662,164 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $448.1M / $508.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,551 / 2,598 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,726 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Uhy LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Group Inc. | $188,987 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250730174508NAL0002115955001, received 2025-07-30, EIN 43-1554045, plan #201, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.