Working for a major corporation like Walmart can have plenty of benefits. Companies like this are well-oiled machines with the means to provide big perks to their employees.
One of Walmart’s employee benefits includes the Associate Stock Purchase Program which is available to many of their employees as part of the benefit plan.
But what is the Walmart Stock Purchase Program? Well, here is your answer!
What Is The Walmart Stock Purchase Program?
The Walmart Associate Stock Purchase Program is an employee option that Walmart offers as part of its comprehensive benefits plan. Associates who purchase up to $1,800 in Walmart stock each year receive a company contribution up to a 15 percent match, a $270 maximum. Additionally, employees can sell their stock at any time, for a small fee.
Curious about how the whole program works and what happens to the stock if an employee quits? Keep reading below for everything you need to know!
How Does Walmart’s Associate Stock Purchase Plan Work?
Walmart includes an associate stock option in its employee benefit plan.
The plan is optional, but employees who participate can count on the value of their stock holdings and up to a 15 percent match from Walmart for the first $1,800.
That comes out to a $270 maximum from Walmart’s investment match. (The amount guaranteed would be less if you invest less than the maximum.)
This match takes the place of what many other employee stock purchase programs (ESPPs) offer, which is a discount on stock purchases.
For their part, associates pay a one-time enrollment fee of $20 and must pony up either an initial investment of $250 or commit to 10 automatic deposits of $25 from their checks.
Employees can purchase up to $125,000 each year if they choose, but again, Walmart only matches that up to $1,800.
Employees can also liquidate their stock at any time, though according to one employee, there is a fee of $25.50, on top of a five-cent fee per share hold.
Finally, Walmart also pays yearly dividends, to the tune of $2.20 per share, an increase for the 48th straight year.
How Do You Purchase Stock As An Employee At Walmart?
Walmart has made the set-up process for joining their Associate Stock Purchase Plan easy and convenient.
To start, you will have to set up an account with Computershare, which is what all interested buyers use to purchase directly.
SmartAsset.com points out, however, that with Computershare, you don’t have a lot of control over prices – you must simply accept what the program charges you for the shares.
And you also accept whatever Computershare sells the shares for if you opt to liquidate.
If you’re a newbie to investing, though, that likely works just fine for you.
Sign up for a new account via Computershare’s Walmart associate portal and follow the instructions for getting everything set up.
Walmart has also begun offering access to associate stock accounts through the employee OneWalmart site as well.
Do Walmart Employees Get Discounts On Stock Purchases?
Walmart employees do not receive discounts on stock purchases, as some other companies offer.
Instead, Walmart matches 15 percent of investments up to $1,800. At that maximum investment of $1,800, the associate will receive $270.
Associates who invest less will then receive less per Walmart’s matching system, but they will still benefit.
Does Walmart Match Employee Stock Purchases?
Walmart does match employee stock purchases.
While employees can purchase up to $125,000 worth of stocks, Walmart matches 15 percent up to $1,800.
According to their matching agreement, associates who invest $1,800 and over can expect to receive $270 from Walmart.
Those who invest less than that amount will receive less, but they can still take advantage of that matching benefit.
How Long Does It Take To Get Check From Walmart Stock?
According to Sapling.com, the turnaround time to get a check from Walmart after liquidating your stocks is about 10 business days by mail.
Direct deposits are a bit faster, at two or three business days.
You might also have to wait for your shares to sell if you opt to do so after the market closes.
If you sell on, say, a Friday at 10 p.m., you’re waiting until Monday when the market opens, and it pushes back the timeline for your check, too.
What Happens To Walmart Stock When You Quit?
You can actually keep your Walmart stock account, even if you quit.
You pay a maintenance fee of $35 per year, but you can continue to make cash purchases through the account for as long as you’d like.
But if you’d rather cash out and get your money, you can do that, too. You simply sell all the shares and wait for your check or direct deposit.
According to the OneWalmart site, “You can avoid additional fees if you wait to complete the transaction until you receive your final paycheck.”
So it pays – semi-literally – to sell all the shares associated with your account until after you get paid for the last time.
If you want to know more about Walmart, you can also see our related posts on whether or not Walmart give bonuses, the Walmart employee discount, and if Walmart pays weekly.
Conclusion
Walmart’s Associate Stock Purchase Plan is a 15 percent investment-matching program that allows employees to invest up to $125,000 annually in Walmart stock.
Walmart will match any investments up to $1,800, at a 15 percent rate, for a maximum of $270 guaranteed, as well as paying dividends at $2.20 per share.
This is a great way for employees to “own” a little piece of the company and share in its unprecedented success.
