Guardian Bus Company, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Guardian Bus Company, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Oceanside, NYTransportation & Warehousing570 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$265Employer $ per active participant
$1,162Employee $ saved per active participant
0.58%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$4.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$14,919Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity6.4 / 5013th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.7 / 2519th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.3 / 1515th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score6 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 13th |
| Lower admin cost | 19th |
| Employee saving | 15th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($4,726 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
- Guardian Bus Company put in about $265 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,070). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.58% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- 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 | $150,705 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $661,710 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $806 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $22,351 |
| Contract administrator fees | $22,351 |
| Benefits paid out | $390,853 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $3.5M / $4.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 561 / 578 |
| Participants with account balances | 285 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | PKF O'connor Davies |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $22,351 reported compensation |
| S B H U Life Agency Inc | $10,024 reported compensation |
| Wilshire Advisors LLC | $0 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014093352NAL0005292114001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 46-4327167, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.