The Hearst Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Hearst Retirement Savings Plan
Charlotte, NCInformation14,220 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$5,276Employer $ per active participant
$9,277Employee $ saved per active participant
$0 reportedDirect admin cost, % of plan assets
$3.1BNet plan assets, end of year
$130,799Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity25.9 / 5052th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost12.5 / 25No direct expenses reported, scored neutral
- Employee saving5.7 / 1538th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score54 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 10,000+ active participants (30 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 52th |
| Lower admin cost | neutral |
| Employee saving | 38th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 60% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Hearst put in about $5,276 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($5,217). 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.
- The plan reported no administrative expenses paid from plan assets. The employer may pay them, or the costs may be built into fund fees. Check your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure for each fund's expense ratio.
- 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 | $75,030,114 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $131,927,038 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $38,862,043 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $0 |
| Benefits paid out | $202,897,898 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.7B / $3.1B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 14,150 / 14,291 |
| Participants with account balances | 23,978 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Crowe LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Voya Institutional Plan Services | $45,600 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013155047NAL0000797475001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 13-0433120, plan #071, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.