The Principal Financial Group® is ranked the No. 1 company in the largest category of Pensions & Investments' first survey of the Best Places to Work in Money Management. The ranking was determined by the results of employee and company surveys.

"We've been working to build Principal Global Investors into a top-tier global asset management company for more than a decade. A big part of doing that is to have the right culture in place so that employees can achieve their full potential," said Larry Zimpleman, chairman, president and CEO at The Principal®. "This recognition reflects very positively on the culture that we have built and we're very grateful for the recognition from Pensions & Investments."

The rankings were published in the December 10 issue of Pensions & Investments.

The publication ranked companies in three separate categories based on size. The Principal competed in the largest category - companies with more than 1,000 employees. Hiring practices, benefits and pay were part of the considered criteria, along with the employee-driven survey results. A sampling of employees answered questions about employee engagement and satisfaction, compensation, career development and work environment.

"It's a tremendous honor to be ranked the Best Place to Work in Money Management," said Jim McCaughan, president of global asset management at The Principal. "We value the dedication and commitment our employees bring to their work and it's nice to see this reflected in the ranking. It is further proof of our commitment to being a leading global investment manager."

For more news and insights from The Principal, connect with us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ThePrincipal.

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 through its diverse family of companies. Founded in 1879 and a member of the FORTUNE 500®, the Principal Financial Group has $392.2 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.

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 September 30, 2012.

The Principal Financial Group
Adam Lackey, 515-362-0482
lackey.adam@principal.com