Pala Band of Mission Indians 401(k) Review & Grade
Pala 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Pala, CAPublic Administration1,172 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,147Employer $ per active participant
$3,314Employee $ saved per active participant
0.42%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$71.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$79,714Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity18.6 / 5037th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.2 / 2529th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.8 / 1539th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score35 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: all industries, plans with 500–2,499 active participants (fewer than 30 industry peers) (10,919 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 37th |
| Lower admin cost | 29th |
| Employee saving | 39th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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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
- Pala Band of Mission Indians put in about $1,147 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,749). 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 (0.42% 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 | $1,344,058 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,882,485 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $284,882 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $285,019 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $132,648 |
| Benefits paid out | $6,207,802 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $64.6M / $71.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,168 / 1,175 |
| Participants with account balances | 895 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Houldsworth, Russo & Co., P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Alerus Financial, N.A. | $152,372 reported compensation |
| Sage Capital Advisors LLC | $132,648 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014113218NAL0005706610001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 95-2863815, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.