Wella Operations US LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Wella Retirement Savings Plan
Calabasas, CAManufacturing622 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$11,208Employer $ per active participant
$11,004Employee $ saved per active participant
0.40%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$67.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$89,665Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity49.0 / 5098th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.6 / 2530th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.8 / 1592th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score70 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 98th |
| Lower admin cost | 30th |
| Employee saving | 92th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $22,483 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Wella Operations US put in about $11,208 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.40% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). 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.
- 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 | $6,965,518 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $6,838,775 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,160,371 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $243,476 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $190,058 |
| Benefits paid out | $7,131,825 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $53.1M / $67.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 649 / 594 |
| Participants with account balances | 756 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | JGD & Associates |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Schwab Retirement Plan Services,inc | $148,926 reported compensation |
| Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdin | $77,545 reported compensation |
| JGD & Associates LLP | $12,250 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251210225858NAL0006266640001, received 2025-12-10, EIN 85-2416861, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.