Shell USA, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Shell Provident Fund
Houston, TXManufacturing12,406 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$16,933Employer $ per active participant
$18,559Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$11.5BNet plan assets, end of year
$475,254Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity48.3 / 5097th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.2 / 2561th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.0 / 1593th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score85 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 97th |
| Lower admin cost | 61th |
| Employee saving | 93th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $10,912 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Shell USA put in about $16,933 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($5,480). 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 | $210,061,968 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $230,236,952 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $34,155,503 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $7,367,776 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $5,726,639 |
| Other admin expenses | $159,445 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,058,977,629 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $10.7B / $11.5B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 12,718 / 12,093 |
| Participants with account balances | 24,212 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Ernst & Young LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $283,354,047 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Blackrock Institutional Trust Co. | $4,079,884 reported compensation |
| Edelman Financial Engines,inc | $3,631,166 reported compensation |
| Fid Inv Inst Ops Co | $2,027,388 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250722114422NAL0001302227001, received 2025-07-22, EIN 13-1299890, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.