Minnesota › Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025
Co-Op 401(k) Plan
Sponsored by Northern Star Cooperative Service, Deer River, MN
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 30 Sep 2025, Co-Op 401(k) Plan covered 123 participants and held $7.7M in net assets. The plan is a 401(k) plan sponsored by Northern Star Cooperative Service of Deer River, Minnesota.
Net assets came to $62,545 per participant, close to the $60,185 median for defined contribution plans with 100 to 249 participants and well above the $42,336 median for defined contribution plans in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
The employer contributed $272K during the year, or $3,405 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,447; participants contributed $300K and $28K arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $644K.
Schedule C lists 1 service provider organisation paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $32K: $262 per participant, well above the same-size median of $194. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $38K. 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 $7.6M in 2020 to $7.7M in 2024 (up 2%), and participants from 132 to 123 (down 7%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $62,545 | $60,185 | $42,336 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $3,405 | $2,447 | $1,701 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $262 | $194 | $112 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.42% | 0.32% | 0.32% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $310 | $176 | $116 | $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), agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (647) 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 | 123 | $7.7M | $62,545 | $272K | $300K | $32K |
| 2023 | 134 | $7.0M | $52,164 | $268K | $268K | $32K |
| 2022 | 133 | $6.6M | $49,594 | $243K | $236K | $31K |
| 2021 | 129 | $6.2M | $47,752 | $233K | $231K | $37K |
| 2020 | 132 | $7.6M | $57,235 | $203K | $201K | $31K |
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$6,990,339
- Employer contributions$272,409
- Participant contributions$300,000
- Rollovers and other contributions$28,489
- Total contributions$600,898
- Total income, including investment results$1,384,320
- Benefits paid$643,544
- Administrative expenses$38,071
- Total expenses$681,615
- Net income$702,705
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$7,693,044
Participants
- Active participants80
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits12
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits27
- Participants with account balances119
- Total participants, end of year123
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milliman, Inc. | Recordkeeping and information management; Participant loan processing | $32,282 | $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$36,614
- Other administrative expenses$1,457
- Total administrative expenses$38,071
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.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$7.0M · 90.6%
- Corporate debt instruments$392K · 5.1%
- U.S. Government securities$236K · 3.1%
- Participant loans$65K · 0.8%
- Common/collective trusts$32K · 0.4%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$329 · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmCarlson SV, LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- 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
3DPre-approved pension plan2EProfit-sharing plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2KCode section 401(m) arrangement2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 115110: Support Activities for Crop Production (including cotton ginning, soil preparation, planting, & cultivating).
Similar plans in Minnesota
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First District Association Retirement Benefit Program for Union Employees | First District Association | 160 | $9.7M | $60,707 |
| The Restated Thrift/profit Sharing Plan for Cooperatives | Western Consolidated Co-Op | 111 | $16.9M | $152,397 |
| Co-Op 401(k) Plan | Land O' Lakes, Inc. | 168 | $4.3M | $25,298 |
| Minnesota AG Group, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Minnesota AG Group, Inc. | 105 | — | — |
| Sparboe Farms, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Sparboe Farms, Inc. | 170 | $7.9M | $46,261 |
| Ralco Nutrition Inc. Safe Harbor 401(k) Retirement Plan | Ralco Nutrition, Inc. | 171 | $19.0M | $111,219 |
Defined contribution plans in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Co-Op 401(k) Plan?
123 participants at the end of the plan year ending 30 Sep 2025, of whom 80 were active employees, with net assets of $7,693,044. 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 Northern Star Cooperative Service contribute per participant?
The filing reports $272,409 in employer contributions for the year, which is $3,405 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,447 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $32,282 in compensation to service provider organisations, $262 per participant or 0.42% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $194 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $38,071. 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 Northern Star Cooperative Service. Recordkeeping or administration: Milliman, Inc.. The financial statements were audited by Carlson SV, LLP. 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 from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. 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 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 10 Apr 2026. 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 41-0248090, plan 002, received 10 Apr 2026; 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.