Integration on track for 2021 completion
Principal Financial Group® today announced marked progress in the integration of the Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement & Trust (IRT) business, which it acquired in July 2019 and is on track for completion in 2021. Principal ® has advanced key decisions on people, processes, and technology, despite challenges posed by COVID-19 and related market disruption. The combined organization is already delivering new and enhanced capabilities to Principal and Wells Fargo IRT customers including a digital plan onboarding experience, the patent-pending Principal® Complete Pension Solution1, the Principal® Milestones financial wellness program, and more.
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“Despite COVID-19, our integration team has continued to make important progress in bringing these two businesses together over the past year,” said Renee Schaaf, president, Retirement and Income Solutions at Principal. “We have stayed dedicated to the integration without losing focus on supporting current customer and financial professional needs, particularly as they’re navigating rapidly evolving market conditions impacting retirement plans, investments, and businesses as a result of the pandemic.”
One strategy, one team
In the past year, Principal has announced combined leadership teams, organizational design, service models, and technology platforms. The unified retirement leadership team includes a balance of executives from Wells Fargo IRT and Principal. The company has also announced and affirmed its commitment to retaining locations in Charlotte, N.C.; Minneapolis/Roseville, MN.; Waco, TX; Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Manila, Philippines. Just last month, Principal secured an office space in downtown Minneapolis that will welcome employees in 2021. Additionally, many Wells Fargo IRT employees have received job offers to transition employment to Principal effective in 2021. Principal, now a top-three recordkeeper as a result of the acquisition,2 has also appointed a new sales leadership team, innovated its advisor and consultant service model, and expanded its sales force as a part of the company’s industry-leading customer care experience.3
“Since we announced the acquisition, we’ve been intentional about extracting the best from both businesses to deliver unmatched capabilities,” said Schaaf. “We’re helping meet the needs of all customer segments with comprehensive retirement, trust and custody, executive benefits, and discretionary asset management offerings.”
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A better retirement begins with a better experience
Building on its reputation as a number one service provider for advisors and plan participants,4 Principal has accelerated innovation in its retirement record-keeping technology platform. As a part of these efforts, the company continues to expand the Principal Total Retirement SuiteSM with next-generation retirement plan management capabilities, financial wellness tools, and resources that help people to save enough and have enough in retirement.
Principal will start welcoming participants in October through Principal® Real Start, a simplified and highly personalized onboarding experience. The process aims to be seamless for plan sponsors and participants as Principal manages all transition logistics. The Principal® Real Start onboarding platform promotes retirement savings best practices and provides access to new tools, resources, and guidance that will help plan sponsors and participants take informed actions to help improve plan outcomes. More than one-third of current Principal® Real Start participants are saving 10% or more and one-in-three are auto-escalating their contributions up to 10 percent.5
Wells Fargo IRT clients—from small to large—are realizing the value the integration with Principal can hold for their participants. Integrated health care organization, Carilion, is one example of a long-standing Wells Fargo IRT client who has transitioned to Principal for their employees’ retirement plan needs.
“Carilion was searching for a way to enhance the retirement savings opportunities of our 13,000+ employees,” said Heather Davenport, vice president, human resource operations. “We chose Principal because we believe their digital capabilities, leadership, and strategy can only improve upon the successful participant outcomes we’ve already experienced with Wells Fargo IRT. We look forward to seeing where this relationship takes us.”
