HRL Laboratories, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
HRL Retirement Savings Plan for Non-Bargained Employees
Malibu, CAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,004 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$13,334Employer $ per active participant
$14,642Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$334.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$255,715Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity47.9 / 5096th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.6 / 2582th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.0 / 1587th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score82 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 96th |
| Lower admin cost | 82th |
| Employee saving | 87th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $8,784 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- HRL Laboratories put in about $13,334 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,082). 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.
- 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 | $13,380,969 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $14,693,476 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,513,258 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $206,791 |
| Other admin expenses | $206,791 |
| Benefits paid out | $16,835,871 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $279.6M / $334.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 960 / 1,047 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,309 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Miller Kaplan Arase, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $91,907 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $75,938 reported compensation |
| Miller Kaplan | $20,200 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250910111128NAL0013131139001, received 2025-09-10, EIN 95-4663143, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.