Kennametal Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Kennametal Thrift Plus Plan
FT. Mill, SCManufacturing2,664 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$4,761Employer $ per active participant
$7,624Employee $ saved per active participant
0.10%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$594.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$134,721Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity33.9 / 5068th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.2 / 2557th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.7 / 1565th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score68 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 68th |
| Lower admin cost | 57th |
| Employee saving | 65th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Kennametal put in about $4,761 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 | $12,684,858 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $20,315,373 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,898,910 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $596,812 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $152,818 |
| Other admin expenses | $118,666 |
| Benefits paid out | $84,480,742 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $572.1M / $594.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,621 / 2,708 |
| Participants with account balances | 4,413 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Inv. Inst. Ops. Co. | $253,989 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $152,818 reported compensation |
| Cook Street Consulting, Inc. | $99,287 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250701141724NAL0017813088001, received 2025-07-01, EIN 25-0900168, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.