Estee Lauder 401(k) match, vesting and fees
What Estee Lauder's 401(k) plan says about matching contributions
The Company matches 100% of a participant’s contribution up to the first 3% of eligible compensation and 50% of a participant’s contribution on the next 4% of eligible compensation (“Employer Matching Contributions”). Additionally, the Company will make an annual contribution for participants who met the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) pre-tax and/or Roth 401(k) deferrals (402g) limit during the year or to participants whose deferrals during the year are at least 7% of their eligible compensation but did not maximize the Company matching contribution (“True-Up Matching Contribution”). True-up Matching Contributions are included in Employer’s contribution receivables in the statements of net assets available for benefits. Employer Matching Contributions for participants will begin following one year of service.
Quoted directly from the filing. Plan terms may have changed; check your current Summary Plan Description.
Plan features
Indented passages are quoted word for word from the audit report; plan terms may have changed since, so check your current Summary Plan Description.
| Employer match | Quoted from the filing above | Audit report, p. 33 ↗ |
| Match vesting | Participants are immediately vested in their contributions plus actual earnings thereon. Participants are also immediately vested in the Company’s matching contributions, and any investment earnings thereon. | Audit report, p. 34 ↗ |
| Automatic enrollment | All non-participating full-time employees are auto-enrolled in the Plan unless they affirmatively elected not to participate. Employees who are auto-enrolled have an initial deferral amount of 3%, which is then increased by 1% annually up to a maximum of 10% (auto-escalation feature). | Audit report, p. 34 ↗ |
| Roth contributions | At the option of the participant, contributions may be made on a pretax, Roth 401(k) or after-tax basis. | Audit report, p. 34 ↗ |
| Loans | Participants may borrow up to two loans from their account, each with a minimum of $1,000 up to a combined maximum equal to the lesser of $50,000 or 50% of their vested account balance less the highest outstanding loan balance in the last 12 months. Loan interest rates are fixed at the prime rate, plus 0.50%, on the 15th day of the month prior to the date that the loan is requested and loan terms may range from one to 20 years with certain allowable exceptions. | Audit report, p. 34 ↗ |
| Recordkeeper | Alight Solutions LLC | Schedule C ↗ |
| Independent auditor | Grant Thornton LLP (unmodified opinion, limited scope) | Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | 401(k) · Active | Form 5500 ↗ |
All rows are from the plan year 2024 filing; plan features from its audit report.
How the plan compares
Plan year 2024 medians for 203 defined-contribution plans in manufacturing with 10,000 to 49,999 participants.
| Estee Lauder: employer contribution per participant | $2,930 | |
| Peer median | $3,733 |
| Estee Lauder: average balance | $176,311 | |
| Peer median | $157,962 |
| Estee Lauder: admin expenses ÷ assets | 0.06% | |
| Peer median | 0.05% |
Admin expenses are the plan's reported administrative expenses divided by its assets; they do not include fund expense ratios.
Plan history
Plan assets went from $2.7B at the end of plan year 2023 to $3.2B at the end of plan year 2024.
| Plan year | Participants | Assets | Employer contributions | Per participant | Admin expense ratio | Match formula | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18,363 | $3.2B | $52.7M | $2,930 | 0.06% | Quoted in the audit report, p. 33 ↗ | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2023 | 19,230 | $2.7B | $49.7M | $2,687 | 0.07% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
Other Estee Lauder plans (1)
Each plan files its own Form 5500. Figures are from each plan's latest filing.
The Estee Lauder Companies Retirement Growth Account Plan
Plan features
Match, vesting and enrollment details have not been published from this plan's audit report yet. The figures below come from the structured filing.
| Recordkeeper | Alight Solutions LLC | Schedule C ↗ |
| Independent auditor | Grant Thornton LLP (unmodified opinion, limited scope) | Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | Pension (defined benefit) · Active | Form 5500 ↗ |
Common questions
Does Estee Lauder match 401(k) contributions?
The audit report attached to the The Estee Lauder Companies 401(k) Savings Plan's plan year 2024 Form 5500, page 33 says: “The Company matches 100% of a participant’s contribution up to the first 3% of eligible compensation and 50% of a participant’s contribution on the next 4% of eligible compensation (“Employer Matching Contributions”). Additionally, the Company will make an annual contribution for participants who met the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) pre-tax and/or Roth 401(k) deferrals (402g) limit during the year or to participants whose deferrals during the year are at least 7% of their eligible compensation but did not maximize the Company matching contribution (“True-Up Matching Contribution”). True-up Matching Contributions are included in Employer’s contribution receivables in the statements of net assets available for benefits. Employer Matching Contributions for participants will begin following one year of service.” Plan terms may have changed; check your current Summary Plan Description.
When is the Estee Lauder 401(k) match vested?
The audit report attached to the plan year 2024 Form 5500, page 34 says: “Participants are immediately vested in their contributions plus actual earnings thereon. Participants are also immediately vested in the Company’s matching contributions, and any investment earnings thereon.”
Who manages the Estee Lauder 401(k)?
The recordkeeper listed on Schedule C of the plan year 2024 filing is Alight Solutions LLC. The plan administrator is The Estee Lauder Inc. Employee Benefits Committee.
I left Estee Lauder. How do I find my old 401(k)?
Your account stays in the plan until you move it. Contact the plan administrator (The Estee Lauder Inc. Employee Benefits Committee, (212) 572-4200) or the recordkeeper, Alight Solutions LLC. The Estee Lauder old 401(k) page lists the contacts from every plan filing. Find an old Estee Lauder 401(k)
Data from the public Form 5500 annual reports Estee Lauder filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (plan years 2023 and 2024) and, where noted, the attached independent auditor's report. Plan terms may have changed since the filing; check your current Summary Plan Description. PlanFacts is not affiliated with Estee Lauder. Not financial advice. Report a correction · Methodology