Estate planning at Principal
How to protect 19 Principal accounts — manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust by mail, and file death claims
Phone1-800-986-3343
Mailing Address
Principal Financial Group, 711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392-0001
Individual Life/Disability Insurance
Retirement Plans
Annuities (Servicing)
Group Benefits/Disability
Group Insurance
Mutual Funds
Principal Bank
Spanish Language Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-986-3343
Mailing Address
Principal Financial Group, 711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392-0001
Individual Life/Disability Insurance
Retirement Plans
Annuities (Servicing)
Group Benefits/Disability
Group Insurance
Mutual Funds
Principal Bank
Spanish Language Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Life Insurance Claims
Phone1-800-331-2213
Fax1-866-894-2096
Mailing Address
Principal Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 10357, Des Moines, IA 50306-0357
Individual Life Claims Questions
Group Life Claims
Individual Life Policy Service
Group Claims Email
Group Claims Fax
Grief Support (Empathy)
Grief Support (Alternate)
Verified May 2026
With 19 products relevant to estate planning, Principal policyholders need to understand how beneficiary designations control where proceeds go. These designations override a will, so the names on file with Principal are what determine who receives the death benefit.
Beneficiary designations at Principal can be managed online, by mail, and by phone, typically taking 10-15 minutes online for retirement accounts; 15-30 minutes by mail for life insurance. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to name a trust as the policy beneficiary or establish an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT).
There are two sides to estate planning at Principal: setting things up while you're alive, and the process survivors follow after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust by mail, and review 19 account types at Principal.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
9-step process, 9 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Frequently asked questions
Log in to your Principal account at principal.com. Click the account card on the left menu and select "View the full account." Click "Overview" from the top menu and scroll down to "Beneficiaries." Follow the on-screen prompts to add or edit primary and contingent beneficiaries. On the mobile app, click on each account, then tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner to find "Beneficiaries." Each account's beneficiaries must be updated separately. Certain designations may require completing a paper form.
Yes. Principal allows trusts to own deferred annuities (variable and registered index-linked). To transfer annuity ownership to a trust, complete the Change of Ownership form (DD425) along with the Trust Certification and Indemnification form (DD9093). A grantor trust (such as a revocable living trust) generally preserves the annuity's tax-deferred status under IRC Section 72(u), as the trust is treated as an agent for a natural person. Irrevocable trusts with all-natural-person beneficiaries may also qualify. Income annuities (already annuitized) generally cannot be transferred once the income stream has begun, but a trust can be named as beneficiary.
Sources
Data sourced from Principal primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Phone1-800-986-3343
Mailing Address
Principal Financial Group, 711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392-0001
Individual Life/Disability Insurance
Retirement Plans
Annuities (Servicing)
Group Benefits/Disability
Group Insurance
Mutual Funds
Principal Bank
Spanish Language Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-986-3343
Mailing Address
Principal Financial Group, 711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392-0001
Individual Life/Disability Insurance
Retirement Plans
Annuities (Servicing)
Group Benefits/Disability
Group Insurance
Mutual Funds
Principal Bank
Spanish Language Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Life Insurance Claims
Phone1-800-331-2213
Fax1-866-894-2096
Mailing Address
Principal Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 10357, Des Moines, IA 50306-0357
Individual Life Claims Questions
Group Life Claims
Individual Life Policy Service
Group Claims Email
Group Claims Fax
Grief Support (Empathy)
Grief Support (Alternate)
Verified May 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Principal accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
