MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
MSC Industrial Direct 401(k) Plan
Melville, NYManufacturing6,692 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,463Employer $ per active participant
$4,759Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$708.9MNet plan assets, end of year
$130,161Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity8.8 / 5018th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.8 / 2579th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.0 / 1533th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score34 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 18th |
| Lower admin cost | 79th |
| Employee saving | 33th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $180,796 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- MSC Industrial Direct Co. put in about $1,463 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,452). 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.
- 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 | $9,791,317 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $31,848,794 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $5,066,048 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $324,115 |
| Benefits paid out | $68,172,535 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $639.3M / $708.9M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 6,717 / 6,667 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,446 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Ernst & Young LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $12,940,222 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| T Rowe Price RPS Inc | $324,680 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250722131952NAL0007076610001, received 2025-07-22, EIN 11-3289165, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.