Principal^® collaborates with FuturePlan to meet heightened demand for pooled retirement plans

(DES MOINES, Iowa)—Principal Financial Group^®, a leader in pooled retirement plan offerings with over $3.5 billion in total assets, today announced the successful transition of administrative responsibilities for Principal^® EASE, the firm’s largest Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) by client count, to FuturePlan. This move enables Principal^® to better align its recordkeeping and investment capabilities with the fiduciary and administrative expertise of third-party administrators (TPAs) like FuturePlan.

“As the PEP and small- and mid-sized business (SMB) market continues to grow and evolve, we remain committed to adapting our services and solutions to meet customer needs and market expectations,” said Sean Jordan, vice president of Retirement and Income Solutions at Principal. “Maintaining and growing relationships with TPAs and retirement plan advisers strengthens our customer-first approach by providing enhanced expertise and service experiences while optimizing our offerings.”

With the number of 401(k) plans in the U.S. projected to grow 66% by 2030 – from over 600,000 plans to over one million, according to Cerulli Associates – more SMBs, retirement plan advisers, and TPAs are evaluating PEPs as an efficient and cost-effective retirement plan option to support the savings goals of working Americans.

Adding FuturePlan as the pooled plan provider, 3(16) plan administrator, and TPA for Principal^® EASE – all of which went into effect July 1 – enables Principal to deepen its focus on building more customer-centric capabilities, investment offerings, and innovations for all plans in collaboration with retirement plan advisers and TPAs. The change will also optimize the service experience customers receive through the collective expertise of the two firms.

“We’re proud to build on our longstanding relationship with Principal,” said Kasey Price, president of FuturePlan. “This milestone reflects our leadership in the retirement space and our shared commitment to innovation and excellence in client and participant service. We look forward to serving even more savers as we continue growing together.”

Principal has four PEPs in total, including three of the largest in the industry by asset size. Together, these plans serve approximately 750 employers and over 86,000 participants. Principal^® EASE appeals to SMBs and retirement plan advisers, as nearly 70% of the employers participating in Principal^® EASE are new to offering a retirement plan, and three-fourths have 100 or fewer participants.

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About Principal Financial Group^®

Principal Financial Group^® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with approximately 20,000 employees passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for 145 years, we’re helping approximately 70 million customers plan, protect, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business. Principal is proud to be recognized as one of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies and named as a Best Places to Work in Money Management. Learn more about Principal and our commitment to building a better future at principal.com.

About FuturePlan

FuturePlan is a leading national retirement TPA dedicated to helping advisors, recordkeepers, and plan sponsors deliver better outcomes for savers. Its highly responsive, personalized service is backed by the strength and security of a national leader in Ascensus. As of March, 31, 2025, FuturePlan's experienced team of experts supports more than 37,000 retirement plans with more than 1.4 million participants and more than $113 billion in assets under administration. For more information, visit futureplan.com.

FuturePlan’s leadership team brings decades of expertise to serve clients and partners. Ascensus began building FuturePlan in 2010, uniting more than 30 exceptional retirement TPA firms from across the nation to transform the industry. The depth of experience, diverse strengths, and specialized expertise of our legacy TPA firms make FuturePlan an industry leader.