Tennessee › Manufacturing › 5,000 to 24,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2025
International Paper Company Salaried Savings Plan
Sponsored by International Paper Company, Memphis, TN
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2025, International Paper Company Salaried Savings Plan covered 17,431 participants and held $4.92B in net assets. The plan is an ESOP with a 401(k) feature sponsored by International Paper Company of Memphis, Tennessee.
Net assets came to $247,496 per participant in plan year 2024, well above the $64,499 median for defined contribution plans with 5,000 to 24,999 participants and well above the $62,303 median for defined contribution plans in manufacturing. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
The employer contributed $123M during the year, or $13,158 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,424; participants contributed $136M and $11.5M arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $624M.
Schedule C lists 6 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $2.3M: $129 per participant, well above the same-size median of $53.38. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $2.3M. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $3.03B in 2009 to $4.92B in 2025 (up 63%), and participants from 30,442 to 17,431 (down 43%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure, plan year 2024 | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $247,496 | $64,499 | $62,303 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $9,350 | $2,424 | $2,187 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $110 | $53.38 | $136 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.04% | 0.09% | 0.24% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $110 | $54.85 | $131 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 5,000 to 24,999 participants (2,605 plans), manufacturing (11,377) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17,431 | $4.92B | $282,371 | $123M | $136M | $2.3M |
| 2024 | 20,176 | $4.99B | $247,496 | $114M | $127M | $2.2M |
| 2023 | 21,003 | $4.62B | $220,043 | $109M | $120M | $2.2M |
| 2022 | 21,596 | $4.18B | $193,495 | $106M | $119M | $3.0M |
| 2021 | 20,909 | $5.12B | $244,639 | $113M | $129M | $3.6M |
| 2020 | 22,358 | $5.05B | $225,711 | $114M | $128M | $3.2M |
| 2019 | 22,599 | $4.50B | $199,070 | $116M | $129M | $2.4M |
| 2018 | 23,035 | $3.87B | $167,865 | $76.4M | $121M | $2.3M |
| 2017 | 23,258 | $4.23B | $181,926 | $72.4M | $119M | $2.2M |
| 2016 | 27,717 | $3.77B | $135,879 | $62.0M | $103M | $2.6M |
| 2015 | 28,206 | $3.52B | $124,631 | $58.6M | $98.5M | $2.6M |
| 2014 | 29,159 | $3.72B | $127,554 | $63.3M | $106M | $2.8M |
| 2013 | 30,662 | $4.26B | $139,062 | $70.8M | $118M | $3.0M |
| 2012 | 27,589 | $3.92B | $142,010 | $59.8M | $105M | $2.7M |
| 2011 | 28,417 | $3.17B | $111,694 | $58.7M | $103M | $3.1M |
| 2010 | 29,223 | $3.19B | $109,195 | $53.7M | $99.8M | $3.5M |
| 2009 | 30,442 | $3.03B | $99,437 | $54.0M | $103M | $3.9M |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$4,993,469,892
- Employer contributions$123,384,091
- Participant contributions$136,305,372
- Rollovers and other contributions$11,454,103
- Total contributions$271,143,566
- Total income, including investment results$916,082,756
- Benefits paid$623,529,360
- Administrative expenses$2,266,832
- Total expenses$626,367,562
- Net income$289,715,194
- Net transfers−$361,179,805
- Net assets, end of year$4,922,005,281
Participants
- Active participants9,377
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits2,060
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits5,472
- Participants with account balances17,206
- Total participants, end of year17,431
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | Investment advisory (participants) | $1,574,096 | $0 |
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | Recordkeeping and information management; Participant loan processing | $499,360 | $0 |
| Deloitte & Touche | Accounting (including auditing) | $144,559 | $0 |
| Mercer | Consulting (general) | $18,070 | $0 |
| Willis Towers Watson | Contract Administrator | $10,316 | $0 |
| Qdro Consultants Company, LLC | Consulting (general) | $5,400 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Investment advisory and management fees$1,604,265
- Recordkeeping fees$499,360
- IQPA audit fees$144,559
- Contract administrator fees$10,316
- Other administrative expenses$8,332
- Total administrative expenses$2,266,832
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Master trust investment accounts$4.70B · 95.4%
- Other investments$157M · 3.2%
- Participant loans$57.9M · 1.2%
- Receivables$12.3M · 0.3%
- Employer securities$14K · 0.0%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$8 · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmDeloitte & Touche LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $30,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2EProfit-sharing plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2KCode section 401(m) arrangement2RParticipant-directed brokerage accounts provided as an investment option under the plan2S401(k) plan or 403(b) plan that provides for automatic enrollment2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group2IStock bonus2OESOP other than a leveraged ESOP
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 322100: Pulp, Paper, & Paperboard Mills.
Other plans of International Paper Company
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Retirement Plan of International Paper Company | 84,174 | $8.19B |
| International Paper Company Hourly Savings Plan | 23,864 | $1.77B |
Similar plans in Tennessee
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Employee 401(k) Plan | Nissan North America, Inc. | 21,429 | $4.38B | $204,196 |
| Bridgestone Americas, Inc. Tax-Efficient Savings Plan | Bridgestone Americas, Inc. | 15,536 | $2.53B | $162,532 |
| International Paper Company Hourly Savings Plan | International Paper Company | 23,864 | $1.77B | $73,962 |
| Eastman Investment & Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Eastman Chemical Company | 15,343 | $3.54B | $230,855 |
| Bridgestone Americas, Inc. Incentive Savings Plan | Bridgestone Americas, Inc. | 31,350 | $657M | $20,966 |
| Usw Industry 401(k) Plan | The Board of Trustees Usw Industry 401(k) Fund | 12,604 | $396M | $31,411 |
Defined contribution plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is International Paper Company Salaried Savings Plan?
17,431 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2025, of whom 9,377 were active employees, with net assets of $4,922,005,281. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 5,000 to 24,999 participants band, which held 2,605 plans in plan year 2024.
What does International Paper Company contribute per participant?
The filing reports $123,384,091 in employer contributions for the year, which is $13,158 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,424 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $2,251,801 in compensation to service provider organisations, $129 per participant or 0.05% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $53.38 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $2,266,832. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is International Paper Company. Recordkeeping or administration: Empower Annuity Insurance Company and Willis Towers Watson. Investment advisory or management: Empower Advisory Group, LLC. The financial statements were audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 27 Jul 2026. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 13-0872805, plan 007, received 27 Jul 2026; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.