North Dakota › Finance and insurance › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
American Federal Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Sponsored by American Federal Bank, Fargo, ND
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, American Federal Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan covered 128 participants and held $15.1M in net assets. The plan is an employee stock ownership plan sponsored by American Federal Bank of Fargo, North Dakota.
Net assets came to $117,989 per participant, well above the $60,185 median for defined contribution plans with 100 to 249 participants and well above the $92,294 median for defined contribution plans in finance and insurance. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Schedule C lists 2 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $37K: $287 per participant, well above the same-size median of $194. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $49K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $3.6M in 2009 to $15.1M in 2024 (up 320%), and participants from 131 to 128 (down 2%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $117,989 | $60,185 | $92,294 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $2,447 | $3,564 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $287 | $194 | $137 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.24% | 0.32% | 0.17% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $385 | $176 | $130 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 100 to 249 participants (21,996 plans), finance and insurance (4,391) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 128 | $15.1M | $117,992 | — | — | $37K |
| 2023 | 128 | $14.9M | $116,391 | $378K | — | $20K |
| 2022 | 126 | $16.4M | $130,429 | $347K | — | $27K |
| 2021 | 117 | $19.6M | $167,479 | $343K | — | $24K |
| 2020 | 117 | $17.5M | $149,735 | $333K | — | $39K |
| 2019 | 120 | $16.2M | $135,100 | $328K | — | $21K |
| 2018 | 116 | $15.2M | $131,353 | $328K | — | $20K |
| 2017 | 106 | $14.3M | $134,887 | $300K | — | $19K |
| 2016 | 103 | $12.1M | $117,534 | $287K | — | $13K |
| 2015 | 112 | $10.9M | $97,598 | $289K | — | $12K |
| 2014 | 109 | $8.7M | $79,963 | $265K | — | $23K |
| 2013 | 105 | $7.9M | $75,181 | $245K | — | $14K |
| 2012 | 108 | $7.1M | $65,565 | $231K | — | $23K |
| 2011 | 115 | $6.1M | $52,861 | $237K | — | $23K |
| 2010 | 117 | $5.5M | $46,906 | $240K | — | $11K |
| 2009 | 131 | $3.6M | $27,435 | $224K | — | $0 |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$14,898,455
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$0
- Total income, including investment results$1,793,278
- Benefits paid$1,539,833
- Administrative expenses$49,311
- Total expenses$1,589,144
- Net income$204,134
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$15,102,589
Participants
- Active participants107
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits4
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits17
- Participants with account balances128
- Total participants, end of year128
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transition Finance Strategies, LLC | Recordkeeping and information management | $20,964 | $0 |
| RP Financial, Lc. | Valuation (appraisals, etc.) | $15,800 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Recordkeeping fees$20,965
- Valuation and appraisal fees$15,800
- IQPA audit fees$8,439
- Legal fees$4,107
- Total administrative expenses$49,311
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Employer securities$12.0M · 79.5%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$3.0M · 19.7%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$128K · 0.8%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmEide Bailly LLC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $1,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2IStock bonus2OESOP other than a leveraged ESOP2QThe employer maintaining this ESOP is an S corporation3IPlan requiring that all or part of employer contributions be invested and held in employer securities
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 522110: Commercial Banking.
Other plans of American Federal Bank
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| American Federal Bank 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | 163 | $29.4M |
Similar plans in North Dakota
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota Farmers Union Employee Salary Savings Plan | Agraria Insurance Company | 148 | $14.0M | $94,589 |
| American State Bank & Trust Company of Williston Employee Savings and Stock Ownership Plan | American State Bank & Trust Company | 115 | — | — |
| American Federal Bank 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | American Federal Bank | 163 | $29.4M | $180,456 |
| Fib&t 401(k) Solutions As Adopted by BNG Holdings, Inc. | First International Bank & Trust | 170 | $2.5M | $14,650 |
| Ni Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Ni Holdings, Inc. | 187 | $2.7M | $14,435 |
| Cole Papers, Inc. Profit Sharing Plan | Cole Papers, Inc. | 194 | $3.0M | $15,232 |
Defined contribution plans in finance and insurance closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is American Federal Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan?
128 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 107 were active employees, with net assets of $15,102,589. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 100 to 249 participants band, which held 21,996 plans in plan year 2024.
What does American Federal Bank contribute per participant?
This filing has no Schedule H financial statement, so employer contributions are not reported here.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $36,764 in compensation to service provider organisations, $287 per participant or 0.24% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $194 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $49,311. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is American Federal Bank. Recordkeeping or administration: Transition Finance Strategies, LLC. The financial statements were audited by Eide Bailly LLC. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 14 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 41-0229822, plan 003, received 14 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.