The Park National Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
The Park National Corporation Employees Stock Ownership Plan
Newark, OHFinance & Insurance1,790 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,953Employer $ per active participant
$6,114Employee $ saved per active participant
0.00%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$276.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$137,441Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity19.2 / 5038th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost25.0 / 25100th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.4 / 1536th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features7 / 10Auto-enrollment
Total score57 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Finance & Insurance plans with 500–2,499 active participants (754 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 38th |
| Lower admin cost | 100th |
| Employee saving | 36th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 62% |
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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
- Park National put in about $2,953 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,606). 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 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 | $5,286,798 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $10,946,728 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $485,903 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $889 |
| Benefits paid out | $35,147,615 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $233.4M / $276.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,791 / 1,790 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,014 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Crowe LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $159,236,170 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $889 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250731092420NAL0006824704001, received 2025-07-31, EIN 31-1179518, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.