PLFJX Performance — Principal LifeTime 2020 Fund, Class J
Data updated: 2026-09-25
PLFJX returned +3.91% year to date and +8.73% over one year to Jul 2026. Annualised returns are +8.65% over 3 years and +3.82% over 5 years. The fund trailed its Target-Date category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $128, against $146 for the category, and to $109 over one year, against $116. Volatility over the past three years was 7.07% a year. In the 12 months to Jul 2026 the fund lost a net $358.4M, and assets reached $1.69B.
PLFJX Growth of $100
What $100 invested in Principal LifeTime 2020 Fund grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Target-Date category average over the same months.
| Period | PLFJX | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) | $109 | $116 |
| 3 years (Aug 2023 – Jul 2026) | $128 | $146 |
| 5 years (Aug 2021 – Jul 2026) | $121 | $142 |
| Since data start (Aug 2019 – Jul 2026) | $153 | $186 |
PLFJX Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jul 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +3.91% |
| 1 year | +8.73% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +8.65% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +3.82% |
PLFJX Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of Principal LifeTime 2020 Fund, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | +3.91% |
| 2025 | +11.14% |
| 2024 | +7.34% |
| 2023 | +12.00% |
| 2022 | −14.51% |
| 2021 | +8.90% |
| 2020 | +12.57% |
| 2019 (Aug–Dec) | +4.87% |
PLFJX Monthly Returns
Monthly total returns as reported on SEC Form N-PORT.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +1.4% | +0.9% | −3.2% | +3.5% | +1.5% | +0.2% | −0.3% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +2.0% | +0.7% | −1.8% | +0.1% | +2.2% | +2.5% | +0.4% | +1.7% | +1.4% | +0.5% | +0.8% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | +0.2% | +1.3% | +2.0% | −2.6% | +2.4% | +0.7% | +2.0% | +1.7% | +1.4% | −1.9% | +2.4% | −2.4% |
| 2023 | +4.8% | −2.3% | +1.8% | +0.9% | −1.3% | +2.7% | +1.5% | −1.3% | −3.0% | −2.0% | +6.0% | +4.1% |
| 2022 | −3.4% | −1.9% | −0.4% | −5.3% | +0.5% | −5.1% | +4.8% | −3.0% | −6.3% | +2.8% | +4.8% | −2.3% |
| 2021 | −0.8% | +1.4% | +1.1% | +2.8% | +0.8% | +0.8% | +0.9% | +1.0% | −2.4% | +2.6% | −1.6% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | +0.4% | −3.1% | −9.2% | +7.0% | +3.4% | +1.7% | +3.4% | +2.7% | −1.5% | −1.1% | +6.6% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% | +0.6% | +1.1% | +1.4% | +1.6% |
PLFJX Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Aug 2023 – Jul 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 7.07%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.59 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +6.00% (Nov 2023)
- Worst month: −3.25% (Mar 2026)
PLFJX Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of Principal LifeTime 2020 Fund, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: −$358.4M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $224.4M
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 0.39×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | $1.5M | $48.1M | −$46.6M |
| Jun 2026 | $2.6M | $48.0M | −$45.4M |
| May 2026 | $1.9M | $39.7M | −$37.8M |
| Apr 2026 | $3.5M | $70.6M | −$67.0M |
| Mar 2026 | $2.7M | $51.4M | −$48.7M |
| Feb 2026 | $1.9M | $43.3M | −$41.4M |
| Jan 2026 | $69.1M | $76.5M | −$7.5M |
| Dec 2025 | $126.4M | $43.3M | $83.1M |
| Nov 2025 | $3.9M | $26.9M | −$23.0M |
| Oct 2025 | $5.6M | $54.8M | −$49.2M |
| Sep 2025 | $1.7M | $46.9M | −$45.2M |
| Aug 2025 | $3.8M | $33.5M | −$29.8M |
PLFJX Assets Under Management
Net assets of Principal LifeTime 2020 Fund by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 | $1.69B |
| 2026-04-30 | $1.79B |
| 2026-01-31 | $1.93B |
| 2025-10-31 | $2.02B |
| 2025-07-31 | $2.07B |
| 2025-04-30 | $2.08B |
| 2025-01-31 | $2.23B |
| 2024-10-31 | $2.33B |
| 2024-07-31 | $2.39B |
| 2024-04-30 | $2.38B |
| 2024-01-31 | $2.48B |
| 2023-10-31 | $2.34B |
For information only. Not investment advice: figures are as reported in SEC filings and may contain errors or be out of date. Past performance does not guarantee future results.