United States Steel Corporation and Affiliated Cos. 401(k) Review & Grade
Uss 401(k) Plan for Usw-Represented Employees
Pittsburgh, PAManufacturing11,620 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$553Employer $ per active participant
$5,210Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.4BNet plan assets, end of year
$115,495Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity2.3 / 505th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.1 / 2556th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving3.3 / 1522th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score27 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 5th |
| Lower admin cost | 56th |
| Employee saving | 22th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $205 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- United States Steel Corporation and Affiliated Cos. put in about $553 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 | $6,424,673 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $60,537,647 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,850,795 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $973,415 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $301,076 |
| Other admin expenses | $75,677 |
| Benefits paid out | $138,038,254 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.3B / $1.4B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 11,820 / 11,419 |
| Participants with account balances | 11,893 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $55,340,218 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $596,225 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $301,076 reported compensation |
| Nepc, LLC | $75,677 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250610160648NAL0015186369001, received 2025-06-10, EIN 25-1897152, plan #028, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.