Quaker Chemical Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Quaker Houghton Retirement Savings Plan · d/b/a Quaker Houghton
Conshohocken, PAManufacturing1,158 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$5,980Employer $ per active participant
$9,507Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$264.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$164,991Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity43.9 / 5088th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.8 / 2579th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.2 / 1588th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default 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 | 88th |
| Lower admin cost | 79th |
| Employee saving | 88th |
| 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
- Quaker Chemical put in about $5,980 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.
- 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 | $6,927,950 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $11,014,327 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,590,072 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $205,690 |
| Other admin expenses | $205,690 |
| Benefits paid out | $30,999,250 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $251.9M / $264.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,132 / 1,185 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,602 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Grant Thornton |
| Employer stock held by plan | $12,445,378 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $137,010 reported compensation |
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $75,095 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250624151051NAL0010530128001, received 2025-06-24, EIN 23-0993790, plan #112, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.