Lynch Livestock 401(k) Review & Grade
Lynch Livestock, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan · d/b/a Lynch Livestock
Waucoma, IAAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting1,354 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$186Employer $ per active participant
$962Employee $ saved per active participant
0.49%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$18.2MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity5.1 / 5010th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost5.9 / 2524th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.6 / 1524th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score15 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting plans with 500–2,499 active participants (118 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 10th |
| Lower admin cost | 24th |
| Employee saving | 24th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $66,748 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Lynch Livestock put in about $186 per active participant, below the typical peer ($774). 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 (0.49% 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 | $252,305 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,302,893 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $88,188 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $83,718 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $42,626 |
| Benefits paid out | $966,764 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $15.9M / $18.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,296 / 1,413 |
| Participants with account balances | 309 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Hacker, Nelson & Co PC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $41,092 reported compensation |
| First Interstate Bank of Commerce | $34,985 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $7,641 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015130040NAL0009705426001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 42-1081789, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.