Vital Farms Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Vital Farms Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
Austin, TXAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting521 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,126Employer $ per active participant
$5,736Employee $ saved per active participant
0.10%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$20.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$29,997Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity43.6 / 5087th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.3 / 2573th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.9 / 1586th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features7 / 10Auto-enrollment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score79 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting plans with 500–2,499 active participants (118 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 87th |
| Lower admin cost | 73th |
| Employee saving | 86th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 36% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $30 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Vital Farms put in about $3,126 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($774). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- 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 | $1,628,512 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,988,584 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,705,159 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $17,651 |
| Contract administrator fees | $17,651 |
| Benefits paid out | $2,809,510 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $14.2M / $20.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 449 / 593 |
| Participants with account balances | 670 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Atchley & Associates, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $17,920 reported compensation |
| Alliance Benefit Group of Houston | $8,339 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013094409NAL0000453219001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 27-0496985, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.