Nippon Paint (USA) Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
The Np-Usa Group Retirement Plan
Commerce, CAManufacturing2,246 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,442Employer $ per active participant
$5,565Employee $ saved per active participant
0.13%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$216.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$70,291Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity14.7 / 5029th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost16.7 / 2567th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.9 / 1560th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score40 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 29th |
| Lower admin cost | 67th |
| Employee saving | 60th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $5,333 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Nippon Paint (USA) put in about $1,442 per active participant, below the typical peer ($2,320). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- 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.
- 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 | $3,238,820 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $12,502,146 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,040,207 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $276,120 |
| Other admin expenses | $276,120 |
| Benefits paid out | $25,325,308 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $199.3M / $216.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,163 / 2,330 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,084 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Plante & Moran, PLLC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $200,681 reported compensation |
| Sageview Advisory Group LLC | $70,500 reported compensation |
| Plante & Moran, PLLC | $15,540 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251009125408NAL0016130418001, received 2025-10-09, EIN 51-0324807, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.