Principal Financial Group 2011 Annual Report Download - page 18

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2011 highlights
To read more, search for ‘Company Profile’ at
www.principal.com
HELP GROWING BUSINESSES
n Relieve the administrative burden for plan sponsors—
The Principal EASE Program allows plan sponsors to
reduce their retirement administrative burden by
handing off many tasks to The Principal, potentially
saving them time and money. The Principal can help
with distribution, recordkeeping, plan compliance and
payroll integration.
n Offer a tailored approach for workplace wellness
programs—The Principal introduced new workplace
wellness programs designed for small to medium-sized
businesses. The solution provides employers with a
year-round plan, including communication materials
and engagement and incentive strategies.
FOCUS ON ADVISORS
n Provide resources for changing regulations—
The Principal created the ERISA 404(a) Participant
Disclosure Regulation Resource Center to offer
information and resources about the new participant
disclosure regulation expected to go into effect in
2012. The resource center provides advisors and plan
sponsors with detailed materials about new requirements
and step-by-step instructions for when and how to take
action. We’ve been one of the most proactive companies
to help advisors and plan sponsors understand and
prepare for the new disclosure obligations.
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n Reward advisor loyalty—We offer privileged partner
programs across multiple divisions aimed at building
the advisor’s business through additional support and
marketing tools.
PREPARE BABY BOOMERS FOR RETIREMENT
n Offer broad suite of investment and income solutions—
Principal Funds continues to expand its array of
strategies focused on investors nearing or in retirement.
In 2011, we launched the Global Multi-Strategy Fund,
which seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation
with an emphasis on positive total returns and relatively
low volatility.
Rankings increase recognition of Principal Funds—
Principal Funds ranked third on Barron’s annual
ranking of top mutual fund families (based on one-year
performance) in 2011, beating out some of the largest
names in the mutual fund industry. In addition,
Principal Funds ranked seventh based on 10-year
performance.
ENCOURAGE ECHO BOOMERS, AND EVERYONE,
TO DREAM, PLAN AND SAVE
n Help America dream again—After helping Americans
start to rebuild their financial well-being, we launched
our Dream Again campaign to inspire them to visualize
their financial futures. Having a dream is just the
beginning of the planning process. The integrated
financial education campaign includes videos and tips
from experts like Jean Chatzky, assistance finding an
advisor and the Dreamcatcher, an online and mobile
social application that helps people visualize, organize
and prioritize their dreams.
n Put the future at plan participants’ fingertips—
A new mobile application from The Principal helps
participants easily track their retirement account
progress. They can check account balances, see their
personal rate of return and review basic account
information to help ensure they’re on track to reach
their goals.
Our strategy is built around the 10
trends and opportunities outlined in this
book. Following are highlights of some
of the most important ways we executed
on our strategy in 2011, as well as other
notable business achievements.
16 | 2011 year in review | PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP