PPG Industries, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
PPG Industries, Inc. Employee Savings Plan
Pittsburgh, PAManufacturing14,101 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,978Employer $ per active participant
$7,604Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$4.3BNet plan assets, end of year
$187,510Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity33.7 / 5067th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost13.0 / 2552th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.9 / 1539th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score40 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 67th |
| Lower admin cost | 52th |
| Employee saving | 39th |
| 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 $10,555 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- PPG Industries put in about $6,978 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.
- 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 | $98,399,202 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $107,217,455 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $20,524,076 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $3,467,606 |
| Contract administrator fees | $6,900 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $2,099,322 |
| Other admin expenses | $649,558 |
| Benefits paid out | $497,076,207 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $4.1B / $4.3B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 16,534 / 11,668 |
| Participants with account balances | 22,855 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $468,993,948 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $1,189,784 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $493,142 reported compensation |
| PPG Industries, Inc. | $432,578 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013150331NAL0001578705001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 25-0730780, plan #384, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.