Henkel of America, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Henkel 401(k) and Defined Contribution Plan
Stamford, CTManufacturing7,047 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$8,551Employer $ per active participant
$8,965Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.4BNet plan assets, end of year
$210,532Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity45.2 / 5090th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost22.8 / 2591th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.0 / 1574th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score89 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 90th |
| Lower admin cost | 91th |
| Employee saving | 74th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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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
- Henkel of America put in about $8,551 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,452). 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 | $60,261,787 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $63,177,664 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $8,301,559 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $624,909 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $624,909 |
| Benefits paid out | $233,260,938 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.1B / $2.4B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 7,122 / 6,972 |
| Participants with account balances | 11,359 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Invest Instit'l Oper Co | $624,909 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015183300NAL0002873699001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 41-1372525, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.