R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company 401(k) Review & Grade
RR Donnelley Savings Plan
Chicago, ILManufacturing12,752 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$724Employer $ per active participant
$5,019Employee $ saved per active participant
0.15%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.4BNet plan assets, end of year
$79,833Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity3.3 / 507th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.7 / 2527th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.9 / 1519th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score10 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 7th |
| Lower admin cost | 27th |
| Employee saving | 19th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $12,439 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- R. R. Donnelley & Sons put in about $724 per active participant, below the typical peer ($5,480). 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.15% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- 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 | $9,232,910 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $63,996,799 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $120,114,279 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,984,523 |
| Contract administrator fees | $6,600 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $757,407 |
| Other admin expenses | $738,561 |
| Benefits paid out | $128,876,463 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.2B / $1.4B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 11,649 / 13,854 |
| Participants with account balances | 17,540 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $510,736 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $370,177 reported compensation |
| The Northern Trust Company | $229,156 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015120829NAL0009132290001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 36-1004130, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.