The Principal Offers Text Messaging, iGoogle Feature
Participants with retirement accounts through the Principal Financial Group can receive certain account information via text messages and their personal iGoogle homepages.
Principal said participants can opt-in to receive email or text messages with retirement account information weekly on whichever day they choose. The messages include total account balance and personalized rate of return.
In addition, The Principal also created an iGoogle gadget that allows participants to view key account information directly from iGoogle without accessing The Principal’s Web site, the company said. The gadget uses the same encryption and security measures that are in place when logging in at www.principal.com, and users must still go to the Web site to perform transactions.
Both technologies are available to participants at for free.
The Principal said it received requests especially from younger participants for electronic communications. Within the first month of the launch of the new features in mid-May, nearly 800 participants added the gadget to their iGoogle home page, and nearly 1,500 participants signed up to receive email or text messages from The Principal.