Lou-Jo Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Hilburn-Vaini Retirement Savings Plan
West Plains, MOAccommodation & Food Services610 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500-SF filing · How we grade
$200Employer $ per active participant
$289Employee $ saved per active participant
0.77%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$859,957Net plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity20.5 / 5041th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.7 / 2511th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.6 / 1517th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score29 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (458 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 41th |
| Lower admin cost | 11th |
| Employee saving | 17th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 17% |
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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
- Lou-Jo put in about $200 per active participant, below the typical peer ($266). 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 (0.77% 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.
- 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 | $122,107 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $176,056 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $0 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $5,387 |
| Benefits paid out | $56,056 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $536,251 / $859,957 |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 719 / 500 |
| Participants with account balances | 77 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500-SF filing, acknowledgment ID 20250717094704NAL0000019507016, received 2025-07-17, EIN 43-1868740, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.