employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

Principal Financial Group

Engaged employer

Great Company Tough Industry - Financial Advisor Principal Financial Group Employee Review

4.0
Sep 25, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Everything Principal sells is top notch. Their own products or their outside network. The mutual fund family is excellent, life products are great, disability products are the best on the market and are widely sold by independents. 401k platform is the lowest cost on the market. Great benefits, corporate culture is excellent.

Cons

This industry is not for everyone. You need to have a 3 yr plan to make this job a career. If you do not have the backbone and connections to get you through the first 2 years, have a backup plan if the time comes to go elsewhere. Training of ok, but if you need help, like most of the companies in this industry, you need to go get it. Management will not come to you.

Explore other reviews about Principal Financial Group

5.0
May 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Three years in and still LOVE it. Great leadership. Work-like balance. Principal invests in their employees with training and professional development. It's very telling when literally thousands of employees have been there for 20-25-30+ years.

Cons

First time in a large company. Sometimes it is tricky to find the right internal partner to get the answer you need.

avatar
Principal Financial Group Response
1w
We appreciate your feedback! Hearing that you felt supported reinforces what we're proud of—the strong community we've built together.
2.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Decent work life balance and benefits. Principal offers a pension which is unheard of in today’s age.

Cons

Pay is below average and Principal does not offer inflation raises. Once you hit the midpoint of your salary, you will get a 0% raise until you’re promoted, which will take multiple years regardless of performance. Performance reviews are vague and often used against employees to avoid promotions. At least in my department, I’ve yet to see any of the remote workers be promoted. This is starting to affect attrition and we’re already starting to see people leaving. It’s well known at this point that the best way to get promoted is to leave Principal and get rehired, which even leadership has stated publicly. This is a huge frustration and blow to morale, as it starts to feel like employees need to compete against their co-workers for raises.

1
avatar
Principal Financial Group Response
2d
We appreciate you sharing your feedback. As a leader in retirement solutions and employee benefits, we strive to provide our employees with a competitive benefits package. Our global pay philosophy is guided by market-driven principles. and we leverage third-party market data to ensure our base salary and incentives remain appropriately competitive.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All