In an effort to offer some much needed relief, the Principal Financial Group^® introduces a powerful planning analysis designed to assess and address widening financial gaps for the business owner.

"Business owners, under increasing pressure to manage their business while protecting their own personal financial futures, aren't getting much sleep at night," said Steve Parrish, national advanced solutions consultant for the Principal Financial Group. "The economy is trying for all of us, but especially business owners who feel like they're up against a great divide when it comes to looking at the growing disparity between their financial goals and current position."

The Business Owner Gap Analysis, a free program from The Principal^®, guides business owners in taking a critical look at long-term financial needs. By working with their financial professional, financial gaps are identified and prioritized. Gaps that most often emerge include:

• Retirement Gap - a personal retirement income goal beyond what is currently filled by social security and a qualified retirement plan.
• Market Gap - current amount of capital versus the amount needed to accomplish financial goals.
• Business Value Gap - difference between book value and fair market value of the business.
• Estate Value Gap - variance between what the owner planned to pass on to heirs and beneficiaries and what is actually available.

"Trying times require us to take a fresh look and a different approach to financial challenges. Through our Business Owner Gap Analysis, we're able to put business owners back on track for a more secure long-term financial future," notes Parrish.

For more information about Business Owner Gap Analysis, contact your Principal Financial Group representative or visit www.principal.com/gapanalysis.

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group^® (The Principal ^®)¹ is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $287.4 billion in assets under management² and serves some 19.0 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, 2008