Valvoline Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Valvoline 401(k) Plan
Lexington, KYManufacturing12,086 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,207Employer $ per active participant
$1,241Employee $ saved per active participant
0.20%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$318.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$39,652Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity5.3 / 5011th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.6 / 2519th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving0.5 / 153th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score3 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 11th |
| Lower admin cost | 19th |
| Employee saving | 3th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
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Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Valvoline put in about $1,207 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.
- Direct plan expenses (0.20% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- 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 | $14,588,789 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,003,128 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,756,229 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $602,281 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $224,466 |
| Other admin expenses | $74,892 |
| Benefits paid out | $35,735,367 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $296.8M / $318.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 11,922 / 12,249 |
| Participants with account balances | 8,040 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Blue & Company LLC |
| Employer stock held by plan | $58,417,747 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $377,815 reported compensation |
| Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting, | $224,466 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250910143050NAL0021254049001, received 2025-09-10, EIN 30-0939371, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.