Participants receive free copy of results and webinar from annual 403(b) Plan Survey

Company Website: http://www.principal.com
DES MOINES, Iowa -- (Business Wire)

Millions of peoplesave for retirement in403(b) plans sponsored by non-profit organizations and public schools, colleges and universities. Those plan sponsors continue to grapple with dramatic regulatory change against a backdrop of a slowly recovering economy.

To bring these organizations essential information on how others are managing their 403(b) retirement programs, the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) and Principal Financial Group^® announce the fifth annual PSCA 403(b) Plan Survey.

Non-profit organizations that participate will receive a free copy of the survey report and an invitation to a webinar that provides an in-depth discussion of the results.

“Last year’s webinar was very well-attended because 403(b) sponsors are eager to compare their plans with others across the nation. The survey is the only one that provides the kind of detailed information about 403(b) plans,” Bob Benish, interim president and executive director of PSCA. “Strong participation from sponsors will increase the richness of the benchmarking information.”

The survey, at http://www.psca.org/2013-403bsurvey, will take less 15 minutes to complete and must be submitted by March 15, 2013. The survey includes a glossary of terms used and a worksheet to help the plan sponsor gather data and fill out the survey.

The results will be available in May and will provide valuable benchmarking data on:

• Plan education
• Investment options
• Participation
• Organization and participant contributions
• Administration practices
• Plan expense monitoring and evaluation

Valuable information for financial professionals and third party administrators
“Financial professionals and third party administrators can build relationships and add value by notifying their 403(b) clients of this opportunity to receive free third-party research,” said Aaron Friedman, national non-profit practice leader, The Principal^®. “When the results are available, financial professionals can meet with clients who completed the survey, attend the free webinar and help with benchmarking. This could provide an opportunity for the financial professional to make recommendations.”

For questions on the survey, or to request hard copies of the survey questionnaire, please contact PSCA at research@psca.org. For more news and insights from The Principal, connect with us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ThePrincipal.

About the Plan Sponsor Council of America
The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), a national, non-profit association of 1,200 companies and their six million employees, advocates increased retirement security through defined contribution programs to federal policymakers. PSCA makes practical assistance available to its members with plan design, administration, investment, compliance, and communication materials. PSCA, established in 1947, is based on the principle that “defined contribution partnership in the workplace fits today’s reality.” PSCA's services are tailored to meet the needs of both large and small companies with members ranging in size from Fortune 100 firms to small, entrepreneurial businesses, and non-profit organizations.

About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group^® (The Principal ^®)¹ is a global investment management leader offering retirement services, insurance solutions and asset management. The Principal offers businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies. Founded in 1879 and a member of the FORTUNE 500^®, the Principal Financial Group has $403.0 billion in assets under management² and serves some 18.3 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.

Links: http://www.psca.org/2013-403bsurvey,
http://eventcenter.commpartners.com/se/Meetings/Playback.aspx?meeting.id=300618%20

Bob Benish and PSCA are not an affiliate of any company of the Principal Financial Group.
© 2013 Principal Financial Services, Inc.

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 Dec. 31, 2012

Contacts:

The Principal Financial Group
Terri Hale, 515-283-8858
hale.terri@principal.com
or
PSCA
Robert Benish, 312-419-1863
bob.benish@psca.org

Source: Principal Financial Group