Stearns, Conrad & Schmidt, Consulting Engineers, 401(k) Review & Grade
SCS Engineers 401(k) Plan
Long Beach, CAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,258 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$894Employer $ per active participant
$8,312Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$163.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$102,603Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity9.1 / 5018th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.0 / 2592th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.6 / 1544th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score49 / 100 · Grade C
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 | 92th |
| Employee saving | 44th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
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
- Stearns, Conrad & Schmidt, Consulting Engineers, put in about $894 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.
- 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.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- 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 | $1,125,241 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,460,455 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,185,452 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $52,062 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $22,048 |
| Benefits paid out | $12,845,205 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $136.4M / $163.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,218 / 1,299 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,594 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Gelman LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $30,734 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $22,048 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250925174819NAL0008783217001, received 2025-09-25, EIN 54-0913440, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.