SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                               ------------------



                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT



                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                        Date of Report: NOVEMBER 3, 2003
                        (Date of earliest event reported)





                         PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


       DELAWARE                       1-16725                    42-1520346
(State or other jurisdiction    Commission file number        (I.R.S. Employer
  of incorporation)                                       Identification Number)


                     711 HIGH STREET, DES MOINES, IOWA 50392
                    (Address of principal executive offices)


                                 (515) 247-5111
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                               ------------------




<PAGE>

ITEM 7.  EXHIBITS

99.1     Press Release of Principal Financial Group, Inc. dated November 3,
         2003.

ITEM 9.  REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE.

         On November 3, 2003,  Principal  Financial  Group,  Inc. issued a press
release  clarifying   inaccurate  statements  included  in  a  Barron's  article
published  on the same date. A copy of the press  release is attached  hereto as
Exhibit 99.1.









                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                            PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.


                                            By:       /S/ THOMAS J. GRAF
                                           -------------------------------------
                                            Name: Thomas J. Graf
                                            Title:  Senior Vice President -
                                                    Investor Relations



Date:  November 3, 2003


                                       2
<PAGE>

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1
FOR RELEASE:  On receipt, November 3, 2002
CONTACT:      Media:  Tina Marchetti, 515-248-0065, marchetti.tina@principal.com
              Investors:  Tom Graf, 515-235,9500, graf.tom@principal.com

THE PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP CLARIFIES BARRON'S ARTICLE


(Des Moines,  Iowa) - The Principal  Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: PFG) announced
today  that a  Barron's  story  dated  Monday,  Nov.  3,  2003,  quoted J. Barry
Griswell,  chairman,  president and chief executive  officer,  saying "the third
quarter was  outstanding."  This was an error.  Griswell  was  referring  to the
second quarter.  The company will release third quarter results after the market
closes today, and expects to slightly exceed First Call consensus  estimates for
third quarter operating earnings.

ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP

The Principal  Financial  Group(R) (The Principal  (R))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 mortgage  banking  through its diverse family of financial
services  companies.  More employers  choose the Principal  Financial  Group for
their 401(k) plans than any other bank, mutual fund, or insurance company in the
United States2.  A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal  Financial Group has
$128.0  billion  in assets  under  management3  and  serves  some  14.8  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 CFO Magazine, April/May 2003, based on total plans served in 2002 by insurance
companies, banks and investment firms.

3 As of June 30, 2003
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "final8kbar03.txt", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4505}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP INC", "cik": "0001126328", "assigned-sic": "6321", "irs-number": "421520346", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-16725", "film-number": "03971952"}, "business-address": {"street1": "711 HIGH STREET", "city": "DES MOINES", "state": "IA", "zip": "50392", "phone": "5152475111"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                               ------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                        Date of Report: NOVEMBER 3, 2003
                        (Date of earliest event reported)

                         PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

       DELAWARE                       1-16725                    42-1520346
(State or other jurisdiction    Commission file number        (I.R.S. Employer
  of incorporation)                                       Identification Number)

                     711 HIGH STREET, DES MOINES, IOWA 50392
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                 (515) 247-5111
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                               ------------------
ITEM 7.  EXHIBITS

99.1     Press Release of Principal Financial Group, Inc. dated November 3,
         2003.

ITEM 9.  REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE.

         On November 3, 2003,  Principal  Financial  Group,  Inc. issued a press
release  clarifying   inaccurate  statements  included  in  a  Barron's  article
published  on the same date. A copy of the press  release is attached  hereto as
Exhibit 99.1.

                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                            PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

                                            By:       /S/ THOMAS J. GRAF
                                           -------------------------------------
                                            Name: Thomas J. Graf
                                            Title:  Senior Vice President -
                                                    Investor Relations

Date:  November 3, 2003

                                       2
Exhibit 99.1
FOR RELEASE:  On receipt, November 3, 2002
CONTACT:      Media:  Tina Marchetti, 515-248-0065, marchetti.tina@principal.com
              Investors:  Tom Graf, 515-235,9500, graf.tom@principal.com

THE PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP CLARIFIES BARRON'S ARTICLE

(Des Moines,  Iowa) - The Principal  Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: PFG) announced
today  that a  Barron's  story  dated  Monday,  Nov.  3,  2003,  quoted J. Barry
Griswell,  chairman,  president and chief executive  officer,  saying "the third
quarter was  outstanding."  This was an error.  Griswell  was  referring  to the
second quarter.  The company will release third quarter results after the market
closes today, and expects to slightly exceed First Call consensus  estimates for
third quarter operating earnings.

ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP

The Principal  Financial  Group(R) (The Principal  (R))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 mortgage  banking  through its diverse family of financial
services  companies.  More employers  choose the Principal  Financial  Group for
their 401(k) plans than any other bank, mutual fund, or insurance company in the
United States2.  A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal  Financial Group has
$128.0  billion  in assets  under  management3  and  serves  some  14.8  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 CFO Magazine, April/May 2003, based on total plans served in 2002 by insurance
companies, banks and investment firms.

3 As of June 30, 2003