Harman International Industries, Incorporated 401(k) Review & Grade
Harman International Industries, Incorporated Retirement Savings Plan
Stamford, CTManufacturing2,166 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$9,002Employer $ per active participant
$14,431Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$737.0MNet plan assets, end of year
$187,473Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity47.5 / 5095th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.0 / 2592th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.6 / 1597th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score75 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 95th |
| Lower admin cost | 92th |
| Employee saving | 97th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
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 $6,740 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Harman International Industries, Incorporated put in about $9,002 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.
- 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 | $19,497,630 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $31,258,265 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $9,747,514 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $238,335 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,200 |
| Other admin expenses | $335 |
| Benefits paid out | $62,710,384 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $640.1M / $737.0M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,195 / 2,137 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,931 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo USA, P.C. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $183,817 reported compensation |
| Bdo USA, P.C. | $54,183 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250812145431NAL0009997328001, received 2025-08-12, EIN 11-2534306, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.