Guess?, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Guess?, Inc. 401(k) Plan and Trust
Los Angeles, CAManufacturing3,234 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$624Employer $ per active participant
$2,310Employee $ saved per active participant
0.34%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$116.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$28,428Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity3.3 / 507th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.9 / 2520th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.5 / 1510th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score17 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 7th |
| Lower admin cost | 20th |
| Employee saving | 10th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $95,715 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Guess? put in about $624 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,452). 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 (0.34% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). 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 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 | $2,017,452 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,470,271 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,835,121 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $364,145 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $47,045 |
| Other admin expenses | $6,561 |
| Benefits paid out | $11,736,616 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $99.3M / $116.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,370 / 3,097 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,090 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Pension Assurance LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $286,289 reported compensation |
| NFP Retirement Inc | $47,045 reported compensation |
| Pension Assurance LLP | $24,250 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014174659NAL0007042994001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 95-3679695, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.