Bayer Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Bayer Corporation Savings and Retirement Plan
ST Louis, MOManufacturing18,288 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$13,821Employer $ per active participant
$14,261Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$10.8BNet plan assets, end of year
$361,452Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity46.3 / 5093th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.8 / 2587th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.1 / 1581th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score80 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 93th |
| Lower admin cost | 87th |
| Employee saving | 81th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $33,400 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Bayer put in about $13,821 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 | $252,755,585 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $260,793,287 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $31,035,024 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $2,674,653 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $2,433,051 |
| Other admin expenses | $169,000 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,342,862,966 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $10.3B / $10.8B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 19,357 / 17,218 |
| Participants with account balances | 29,901 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Schneider Downs & Co., Inc. |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors Inc | $2,433,051 reported compensation |
| Aon Investments USA Inc | $169,000 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Inv Instl Ops | $72,062 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250807072011NAL0002062003001, received 2025-08-07, EIN 25-1339219, plan #051, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.
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