Ball Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Ball Corporation 401(k) and Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Westminster, COManufacturing7,276 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,847Employer $ per active participant
$6,900Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.3BNet plan assets, end of year
$207,918Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity28.2 / 5056th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.0 / 2580th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving8.8 / 1558th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score67 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 56th |
| Lower admin cost | 80th |
| Employee saving | 58th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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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
- Ball put in about $3,847 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,452). 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 | $27,986,683 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $50,203,148 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $11,266,465 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,185,480 |
| Contract administrator fees | $46,908 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $823,198 |
| Benefits paid out | $849,866,970 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.8B / $2.3B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 9,935 / 4,616 |
| Participants with account balances | 11,156 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
| Employer stock held by plan | $229,140,513 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Voya Retirement Advisors | $791,856 reported compensation |
| Voya Institutional Plan Services | $362,282 reported compensation |
| Blackrock | $31,342 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250606165910NAL0012860081001, received 2025-06-06, EIN 35-0160610, plan #030, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.