Newell Operating Company 401(k) Review & Grade
Newell Brands Employee Savings Plan
Atlanta, GAManufacturing9,387 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,726Employer $ per active participant
$5,784Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.8BNet plan assets, end of year
$92,970Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity27.3 / 5055th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost17.0 / 2568th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.9 / 1546th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score41 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 55th |
| Lower admin cost | 68th |
| Employee saving | 46th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Prohibited transactions: the plan reported non-exempt transactions with a party in interest.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $6,933 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Newell Operating put in about $3,726 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.
- 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 | $34,972,605 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $54,294,109 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $12,042,837 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,229,440 |
| Contract administrator fees | $8,400 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $365,147 |
| Other admin expenses | $168,095 |
| Benefits paid out | $250,317,812 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.7B / $1.8B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 9,704 / 9,070 |
| Participants with account balances | 18,915 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Forvis Mazars, LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $10,789,426 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $613,821 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $365,147 reported compensation |
| Nepc, LLC | $156,973 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250731063630NAL0009873538001, received 2025-07-31, EIN 36-1953130, plan #012, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.