Farmer Bros. Co. 401(k) Review & Grade
Farmer Bros. Co. 401(k) Plan
Fort Worth, TXManufacturing961 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,053Employer $ per active participant
$4,356Employee $ saved per active participant
0.20%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$103.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$78,355Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity9.2 / 5018th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost13.7 / 2555th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.3 / 1542th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score32 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 18th |
| Lower admin cost | 55th |
| Employee saving | 42th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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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
- Farmer Bros. put in about $1,053 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). 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.
- 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 | $1,011,708 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,186,440 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $239,992 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $200,542 |
| Contract administrator fees | $173,602 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $26,940 |
| Benefits paid out | $12,034,680 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $101.3M / $103.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,012 / 910 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,321 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | PKF O'connor Davies, LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $3,772,669 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $173,601 reported compensation |
| NFP Retirement Inc. | $27,000 reported compensation |
| PKF O'connor Davies, LLP | $16,500 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251006163855NAL0006974896001, received 2025-10-06, EIN 95-0725980, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.