November 21, 2012 (Des Moines, Iowa) - The Principal Financial Group® has announced financial assistance up to $250,000, including matching employee contributions, to relief efforts following the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy.

The Principal has directed contributions totaling $150,000 to national and local charities in the affected areas. A $50,000 contribution will go to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy response and relief efforts. Additionally, $100,000 will be divided among the following charities benefiting those in the hardest hit states of New York and New Jersey.

  • In New York: Empire State Relief Fund, New York Police Disaster Relief Fund and New York Friends of Firefighters
  • In New Jersey: New Jersey Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund and Community FoodBank of New Jersey

The company will also match dollar-for-dollar employee contributions to these charities up to a total of $50,000.

"Our thoughts continue to be with those affected by the disaster and we extend our support to our customers, employees, and business partners," said Mary O'Keefe, senior vice president and chief marketing officer The Principal. "We hope our support continues to provide for the immediate needs of those who've suffered losses on the East Coast and, as importantly, help with the long-term rebuild efforts."

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®) is a global investment management leader including 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 $392.2 billion in assets under management 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.www.principal.com.

distributed by