Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Sally Beauty 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan
Denton, TXRetail Trade18,474 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$402Employer $ per active participant
$703Employee $ saved per active participant
0.09%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$294.1MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity12.6 / 5025th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost11.9 / 2548th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving2.0 / 1513th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score20 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 25th |
| Lower admin cost | 48th |
| Employee saving | 13th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($703 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Sally Beauty Holdings put in about $402 per active participant, below the typical peer ($689). 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.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- 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 | $7,421,672 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $12,982,777 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,054,744 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $263,006 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $38,500 |
| Benefits paid out | $35,992,196 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $275.4M / $294.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 18,303 / 18,644 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,528 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Bdo Usa,p.c |
| Employer stock held by plan | $502,025 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | $195,506 reported compensation |
| Creative Planning Holdco LLC DBA CR | $38,500 reported compensation |
| Bdo USA LLP | $29,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010104814NAL0004519283001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 36-2257936, plan #006, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.