RWS Life Sciences Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Onerws 401(k) Plan
East Hartford, CTProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services2,066 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$896Employer $ per active participant
$2,284Employee $ saved per active participant
0.38%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$104.4MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity9.2 / 5018th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.1 / 2532th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.8 / 1512th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score22 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 18th |
| Lower admin cost | 32th |
| Employee saving | 12th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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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
- RWS Life Sciences put in about $896 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,082). 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 (0.38% 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 | $1,850,486 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,717,764 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $387,004 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $247,830 |
| Contract administrator fees | $247,830 |
| Benefits paid out | $22,702,509 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $26.8M / $104.4M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 158 / 3,974 |
| Participants with account balances | 776 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Pension Assurance LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $236,295 reported compensation |
| World Investment Advisors LLC | $181,121 reported compensation |
| Pasi, LLC | $7,790 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260714151924NAL0001734849001, received 2026-07-14, EIN 82-2740673, plan #001, plan year 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30. Verify at efast.dol.gov.