International Paper Company 401(k) Review & Grade
International Paper Company Salaried Savings Plan
Memphis, TNManufacturing12,396 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$9,223Employer $ per active participant
$10,242Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$5.0BNet plan assets, end of year
$250,626Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity40.0 / 5080th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.5 / 2574th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.4 / 1563th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score75 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 80th |
| Lower admin cost | 74th |
| Employee saving | 63th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $1,042 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- International Paper put in about $9,223 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 | $114,339,004 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $126,963,139 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $14,687,870 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $2,215,422 |
| Contract administrator fees | $133,552 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $1,374,973 |
| Other admin expenses | $58,514 |
| Benefits paid out | $528,996,479 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $4.6B / $5.0B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 12,564 / 12,229 |
| Participants with account balances | 19,924 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Deloitte & Touche LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $18,837 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | $1,356,400 reported compensation |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $519,310 reported compensation |
| Alight | $131,683 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250721115147NAL0001839184001, received 2025-07-21, EIN 13-0872805, plan #007, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.
Other 401(k) plans filed under this employer's EIN
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