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

• Guidance for Sustaining Retirement Income Before and After Market Downturns (PDF: 655 KB): Get insight dealing with market volatility for clients just entering, or already in, retirement. This white paper presents guidelines for possible actions needed, and offers some alternative strategies that may help generate and sustain retirement income.
• Income Annuities Help Bridge the Retirement Income Gap (PDF: 662 KB): Find out how an income annuity solution can provide plan participants with a secure, steady income for life.
• Sustaining Income Through Retirement (PDF: 788 KB): Learn some of the pros and cons of four potential strategies for converting retirement savings into a stream of income that will last.

Investments, Market Conditions & Fiduciary Responsibilities

• Rebuilding 401(k) Retirement Savings: Three Stages of Rebuilding (PDF: 952 KB): Find out how to help your plan participants rebuild their 401(k) account balance to January 1, 2008 levels. This white paper is based on a study of over 21 million plan participants by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a private, nonprofit research institute based in Washington, D.C.
• 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.
• Navigating Your Way Through Market Turbulence (PDF: 140 KB): Take an in-depth look at how the market volatility may be affecting 4 common retirement plan types and how retirement plan sponsors can take action.
• 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.
• Understanding and Managing Fiduciary Responsibility (PDF: 446 KB) is designed to help employers and their advisors understand the complex rules governing qualified retirement plans.

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.
• Tools & Resources to Address Pension Protection Act (PPA): a bill signed in 2006 intended to strengthen workers' retirement security.

Retirement Plan Trends

• 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.
• Nonqualified Deferred Compensation: Understanding Plan Sponsor & Plan Participant Expectations (PDF: 1.2 MB): Better understand the needs and expectations of nonqualified deferred compensation plan sponsors and participants.  This paper identifies the drivers of satisfaction for each audience regarding this important key employee benefit.
• 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.

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Employee Benefits Related Research

• Business Owner Market Study: Understanding Benefit Practices (PDF: 283 KB): Find out what priorities business owners have in the current economic recession. 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

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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.

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