Century Aluminum Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Century Aluminum 401(k) Plan
Chicago, ILManufacturing1,426 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,326Employer $ per active participant
$5,411Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$149.7MNet plan assets, end of year
$106,634Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity39.1 / 5078th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.9 / 2588th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.6 / 1557th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score80 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 78th |
| Lower admin cost | 88th |
| Employee saving | 57th |
| 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
- Century Aluminum put in about $4,326 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 | $6,169,170 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $7,715,823 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $900,856 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $69,828 |
| Other admin expenses | $25,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $15,704,162 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $133.5M / $149.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,418 / 1,434 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,404 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Plante & Moran, PLLC |
| Employer stock held by plan | $573,505 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| T Rowe Price RPS Inc | $25,328 reported compensation |
| Ubs | $25,000 reported compensation |
| Plante Moran Financial Advisors | $19,500 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013110021NAL0001157809001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 13-3070826, plan #004, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.