Brown-Forman Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Brown-Forman Corporation Savings Plan
Louisville, KYManufacturing2,238 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$5,415Employer $ per active participant
$10,510Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$648.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$241,366Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity42.6 / 5085th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.2 / 2593th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.7 / 1591th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score90 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 85th |
| Lower admin cost | 93th |
| Employee saving | 91th |
| 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
- Brown-Forman put in about $5,415 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,320). 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 | $12,121,788 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $23,525,521 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,522,449 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $190,845 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $106,169 |
| Other admin expenses | $20,357 |
| Benefits paid out | $81,607,808 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $631.0M / $648.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,423 / 2,054 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,687 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Crowe LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $32,456,610 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $106,169 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $63,719 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250929101535NAL0004966067001, received 2025-09-29, EIN 61-0143150, plan #006, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.