Plan Sponsors Highly Satisfied with Overall Service from the Principal Financial Group

Business Wire, June 2, 2008

The Principal ranked No. 1 among peers in four categories

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Retirement plan sponsors gave high marks in overall service to the Principal Financial Group([R]), one of the nation's retirement leaders1, in the latest study by industry expert Boston Research Group.

The study found 94 percent of plan sponsors with $5 million or less in 401(k) assets are satisfied with the overall service they receive from The Principal([R]). Those surveyed gave The Principal the highest scores among all 26 retirement plan providers in the study in the following categories:

* Plan sponsor Web site;

* Participant Web site;

* Minimizes administrative burden; and

* In the defined contribution market for the long run.

The Principal outperformed the industry benchmark in 14 of 14 service categories and 11 of 11 brand attribute categories, according to the study.

"It's gratifying to know plan sponsors value the services we provide and are willing to share their experiences with a highly respected research leader," said Laurie Shultz, vice president of retirement and investor services at The Principal. "We are very proud of these results, which reinforce our commitment to clients and their goals."

Boston Research Group conducted 1,476 interviews with 401(k) plan sponsors with $5 million or less in assets for the 2007 study.

About Boston Research Group

Boston Research Group is a leader in marketing, research and consulting in the defined contribution industry. For more information, visit www.bostonresearch.com.

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group([R]) (The Principal ([R]))2 is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $304.2 billion in assets under management3 and serves some 18.8 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

1 The Principal ranks No. 1 in total plans for all asset sizes among fully bundled 401(k) providers (2006 Spectrem Group analysis of fully bundled 401(k) providers; companies that provide both administrative and investment services)

2 "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group

3 As of March 31, 2008

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