PPL Services Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
PPL Retirement Savings Plan
Allentown, PAUtilities1,676 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$10,358Employer $ per active participant
$12,463Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$274.1MNet plan assets, end of year
$129,156Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity44.6 / 5089th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost23.0 / 2592th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.7 / 1565th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score84 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Utilities plans with 500–2,499 active participants (75 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 89th |
| Lower admin cost | 92th |
| Employee saving | 65th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 76% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $3,717 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- PPL Services put in about $10,358 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($6,264). 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.
- 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 | $17,360,622 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $20,888,549 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,816,598 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $83,359 |
| Contract administrator fees | $600 |
| Benefits paid out | $15,675,430 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $206.1M / $274.1M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,565 / 1,787 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,122 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Baker Tilly US, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $79,713 reported compensation |
| K&l Gates | $5,452 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014133247NAL0001426147001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 23-3041441, plan #060, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.