Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Cornerstone Building Brands 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
Houston, TXManufacturing15,114 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,233Employer $ per active participant
$2,679Employee $ saved per active participant
0.11%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$845.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$90,966Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity5.7 / 5011th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost10.6 / 2542th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.0 / 157th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score7 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 11th |
| Lower admin cost | 42th |
| Employee saving | 7th |
| 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 $8,377 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Cornerstone Building Brands put in about $1,233 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.
- 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 | $18,635,707 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $40,493,988 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $9,064,562 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $773,538 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $144,837 |
| Other admin expenses | $110,898 |
| Benefits paid out | $93,940,636 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $627.8M / $845.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 14,166 / 16,061 |
| Participants with account balances | 9,290 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $438,683 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $144,837 reported compensation |
| Cook Street Consulting, Inc. | $61,675 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010171955NAL0004432147001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 76-0127701, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.