DS Smith North America 401(k) Review & Grade
DS Smith North America 401k Plan
Atlanta, GAManufacturing1,641 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,904Employer $ per active participant
$5,631Employee $ saved per active participant
0.20%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$123.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$61,017Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity37.0 / 5074th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost13.6 / 2554th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.1 / 1560th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score67 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 74th |
| Lower admin cost | 54th |
| Employee saving | 60th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $7,011 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- DS Smith North America put in about $3,904 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 | $6,406,225 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $9,239,807 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,281,185 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $239,539 |
| Benefits paid out | $20,963,509 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $115.4M / $123.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,648 / 1,634 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,030 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $209,471 reported compensation |
| Greenspring Advisors LLC | $40,600 reported compensation |
| Cliftonlarsonallen LLP | $25,434 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009111758NAL0006502017001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 31-1042663, plan #005, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.