News Room: The Principal Research Center

As a global leader in offering a wide range of financial products and services, the Principal Financial Group continuously tracks trends that may affect employers, individuals and institutional investors. Click on the links below to access Principal Financial Group primary research, current newsletters, commentaries and timely studies. New information is added regularly. For more information, please contact Media Relations.

Retirement Savings & Retirement Plan Related Research

Retirement Income Strategies

• Wellness=Retirement Savings (PDF: 297 KB): Learn more about the connection between health and wealth when it comes to helping employees save for retirement.

Investments, Market Conditions & Fiduciary Responsibilities

• Fiduciary Guide: What You Should Know About Fiduciary Status Under ERISA (PDF: 414 KB): A concise guide describing the basic concepts of fiduciary status under Sections 3(21) and 3(38) of ERISA, the implications of being a fiduciary as well as the distinction between ERISA §3(21) and 3(38) fiduciaries.
• Retirement Plan Governance: What is it and why should you care? (PDF: 201 KB): Mitigate risk with your retirement plan and learn how good plan governance can help.
• Weighing Rebalancing Options (PDF: 480 KB): Explore the challenges and potential benefits of rebalancing a diversified retirement portfolio and learn key considerations for a successful rebalancing program.
• Pursuing “Retirement Plan Success” During Participants’ Accumulation Years (PDF: 284 KB): How do you measure retirement plan success? According to our analysis, success can be best measured by the degree of improvement in the value of its participants’ account balances over time. Find out which factors can have the biggest impact participants’ account balances in this white paper.
• Manager Selection: The Importance of Qualitative Analysis (PDF: 400 KB): Understand the key considerations and evaluation criteria that should be part of your initial and ongoing qualitative analysis when reviewing investment option managers.
• Managing Participant-Directed Plans - QDIAs and Other Options under ERISA Section 404(c) (PDF: 360 KB): Find out how ERISA provisions can help your clients deal with “undirected funds” in their retirement savings plan. It’s all outlined in the new white paper written by third party expert Groom Law Group.
• Implementation of a Reduction in Force (RIF) (PDF: 415 KB): Understand how your retirement plan can be affected by a RIF and how proper planning can help you minimize litigation and promote the best possible feelings toward the company by both impacted and remaining employees.
• Implications for Changing Investment Managers (PDF: 420 KB): How do you address an underperforming investment manager? This paper from Principal Financial Advisors, Inc. explores several options as well as considerations for each.
• Investment Committee Best Practices (PDF 246 KB): Find out why forming an Investment Committee can help plan sponsors manage their fiduciary obligations and the best way to create one.

Government Rules & Regulations

• The Road to Transparency: Form 5500 Annual Reporting, 403(b) Plans and Fair Value Measurements (PDF: 110 KB): Employers who sponsor retirement plans face new reporting requirements at the end of this year. This guide can help you meet the new Form 5500 and retirement plan financial statement (FAS No. 157) requirements.
• 403(b) Plan Sponsor's Guide to the New Final 403(b) Regulations (PDF: 207 KB): The Principal^® partnered with the Groom Law Group, one of the nation's largest employee benefits specialty law firms, to provide guidance and interpretation of these rules.
• Side-by-Side Comparison of 403(b) Final Regulations (PDF: 610 KB): Get help understanding the Final 403(b) regulations with this guide.
• Practical Implications of the 403(b) Regulations (PDF: 366 KB): a white paper for how the 403(b) regulations affect plan sponsors and actions they may consider taking.

Retirement Plan Trends

• Managing Volatility in Defined Benefit Plans (PDF: 590 KB): This white paper discusses key reasons driving increased volatility in many defined benefit plans and actions you may consider taking to potentially limit plan volatility and downside risk.
• Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans: Plan Decisions and Changing Tax Conditions (PDF: 384 KB): This white paper offers a comprehensive look at everything employers should take into consideration—especially from a tax standpoint—when determining whether a nonqualified deferred compensation plan is the best solution for their most highly valued employees.
• Our View on Retirement Readiness: How to Move from a "Popular" Plan to a Successful Plan (PDF: 445 KB): Learn how to offer a more comprehensive measure of retirement readiness plus specific ways you can move the savings needle through affordable plan design changes.
• Trends in Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Among Plan Sponsors & Participant (PDF: 439 KB):Learn about what drives employer and key employee satisfaction with NQDC solutions.
• Winding Down Your Hard-frozen Defined Benefit (DB) Plan (PDF: 687 KB): Many sponsors of hard-frozen defined benefit plans are looking for insight on how to ultimately terminate their plans. Learn best practices for developing and implementing a DB plan termination strategy in a timely, cost-efficient manner.
• Winding Down Your Hard-frozen Defined Benefit (DB) Plan: Part II (PDF: 139 KB): Explores best practices for executing the termination of a hard-frozen DB plan, once a termination strategy is in place.
• Understanding Automatic Enrollment (PDF 102 KB): Find out if automatic enrollment is right for your organization and how it might help increase participation in your retirement plan.
• The Total View: Retirement Plan Trends report: provides insight on the changing retirement landscape based on an analysis of proprietary data belonging to The Principal^®. The report covers four core retirement plan designs - defined contribution, including 401(k), defined benefit, nonqualified and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) and is published every other year.
• 403(b) Target-Date Fund Survey (PDF: 200 KB): Conducted by the Profit Sharing/401k Council of America and sponsored by the Principal Financial Group^®, this first-of-its-kind survey reports on the current plan practices of 144 non-profit 403(b) plan sponsors from across the country.

Employee Benefits Related Research

• Business Owner Market Study How Priorities Align with Practices (PDF: 195 KB): Find out how business owners are prioritizing as we emerge slowly from the economic recession – particularly when trying to balance the needs of their businesses with their own retirement and personal financial goals. The study, which surveys small to medium sized business owners with 2-500 employees, is released by the Principal Financial Group and conducted by Harris Interactive^®.
• The Principal Financial Well-Being Index^SM: a quarterly study to identify trends in consumer financial well-being, retirement planning, employee benefits, and workplace trends.
• Best Practices in Employee Benefits: A guide to best practices in employee benefits from The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security.
• The Principal Global Financial Well-Being Study^SM: Conducted by Roper ASW in 2003-2004 and compared retirement confidence, organized saving, employee benefit coverage and benefit programs among employees in 12 countries: India, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States. View past results:
  • 2004 Results (PDF: 534 KB)
  • 2003 Results (PDF: 438 KB

Economy Related Research

• The Knowledge Center: a collection of timely newsletters and research reports published by Principal Global Investors. Learn more about the impact of economic, political and investment trends on stocks, bonds and real estate investments.