The Sherwin-Williams Company 401(k) Review & Grade
The Sherwin-Williams Company 401(k) Plan
Cleveland, OHManufacturing47,389 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,382Employer $ per active participant
$5,858Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$10.6BNet plan assets, end of year
$172,887Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity14.3 / 5029th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.7 / 2587th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.3 / 1529th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score50 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 29th |
| Lower admin cost | 87th |
| Employee saving | 29th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
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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
- Sherwin-Williams put in about $3,382 per active participant, below the typical peer ($5,480). 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 | $160,255,363 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $277,598,558 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $24,425,777 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $2,642,321 |
| Contract administrator fees | $16,450 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $951,339 |
| Other admin expenses | $926,723 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,205,434,582 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $10.1B / $10.6B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 47,459 / 47,319 |
| Participants with account balances | 61,101 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Crowe LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $5,701,234,107 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $951,339 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Inv Inst Ops Co, Inc | $742,006 reported compensation |
| Qdro Consultants | $16,450 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015174451NAL0005561537001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 34-0526850, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.