2006 Best Benefits Top 10 Winners to Be Unveiled October 16

Oct. 09, 2006 (Des Moines, Iowa) — The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security-2006 will be announced Oct. 16, 2006. The national recognition program, now in its fifth year, honors growing businesses (five to 1,000 employees) that excel in selecting, managing and providing a benefits program that ensures employees' long-term financial security.

The winners and their approach to benefits in today's changing environment will be unveiled October 16 at www.principal.com.

The winners were selected by an independent panel of renowned employee benefit experts who worked with Mathew Greenwald & Associates, a premier market research company. A complete list of the judges can be found at http://www.principal.com/theprincipal10best/judges.htm

Journalists who would like direct notification of the 2006 winners can contact Terri Hale, Senior Media Relations Consultant, The Principal, 515.283.8858, hale.terri@principal.com or Sonja Sorrel, Media Relations Consultant, The Principal, 515.362.2431, sorrel.sonja@principal.com.

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group^® (The Principal^®)¹ 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 and national network of financial professionals. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $206 billion in assets under management² and serves some 16.3 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 Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.
2) As of June 30, 2006.