Thorne Research, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Thorne Research, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
Summerville, SCManufacturing704 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,200Employer $ per active participant
$4,228Employee $ saved per active participant
0.88%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$20.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$36,976Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity23.8 / 5048th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost2.1 / 258th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.0 / 1540th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
Total score32 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 48th |
| Lower admin cost | 8th |
| Employee saving | 40th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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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
- Thorne Research put in about $2,200 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). 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 (0.88% 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 | $1,547,432 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,974,614 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $252,782 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $166,662 |
| Contract administrator fees | $166,481 |
| Other admin expenses | $181 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,997,584 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $17.5M / $20.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 680 / 727 |
| Participants with account balances | 549 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Hayden Ross, PLLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $146,430 reported compensation |
| Legacy Retirement Solutions, LLC | $22,796 reported compensation |
| LPL Financial LLC | $12,919 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010144110NAL0013343760001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 91-1248086, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.