Registration No. 333-171650

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-4

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 

Pre-Effective Amendment No.

Post-Effective Amendment No. 02

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 

Amendment No. 149

(Check appropriate box or boxes)

Principal Life Insurance Company Separate Account B

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

(Exact Name of Registrant)

Principal Life Insurance Company

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

(Name of Depositor)

The Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, Iowa 50392

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

(Address of Depositor's Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(515) 248-3842

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

Depositor's Telephone Number, including Area Code

M. D. Roughton,

The Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, Iowa 50392

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

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Title of Securities Being Registered: Principal Lifetime Income Solutions^SM 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
____	immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485
__X__	on April 10, 2012 pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485
____	60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485
____	on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485
____	75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
____	on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
If appropriate, check the following box:
__X___ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form N-4 for Principal Life Insurance Company 

Separate Account B ("Registrant") incorporates by reference the Prospectuses, Statement of Additional Information and Part C 

that are contained in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 1, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange 

Commission on January 11, 2012 (SEC Accession Number 0000898745-12-000019). The sole purpose of this Post-Effective 

Amendment, which is being filed pursuant to Rule 485(b)(1)(iii) under the Securities Act of 1933, is to extend the effective date 

of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to April 10, 2012. 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, Principal 

Life Insurance Company Separate Account B, has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on 

its behalf by the undersigned thereto duly authorized, and its seal to be hereunto affixed and attested, in the City of Des Moines 

and State of Iowa, on the 8th day of March, 2012. 

PRINCIPAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY 

SEPARATE ACCOUNT B 

(Registrant) 

By : /s/ L. D. Zimpleman 

L. D. Zimpleman 

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer 

PRINCIPAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY 

(Depositor) 

By : /s/ L. D. Zimpleman 

L. D. Zimpleman 

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer 

Attest:

/s/ Joyce N. Hoffman
________________________
Joyce N. Hoffman
Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this amendment to the registration statement has been signed by the 

following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated. 

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ L. D. Zimpleman
______________________
L. D. Zimpleman	Chairman, President	March 8, 2012
	and Chief Executive Officer
/s/ G.B. Elming
______________________	Senior Vice President and	March 8, 2012
G.B. Elming	Chief Risk Officer
/s/ T. J. Lillis
______________________	Senior Vice President	March 8, 2012
T. J. Lillis	and Chief Financial Officer
	(Principal Financial and
	Accounting Officer)
(B. J. Bernard)*	Director	March 8, 2012
B. J. Bernard
(J. Carter-Miller)*	Director	March 8, 2012
J. Carter-Miller
(G. E. Costley)*	Director	March 8, 2012
G. E. Costley
(M.T. Dan)*	Director	March 8, 2012
M. T. Dan
_(D.H. Ferro)*	Director	March 8, 2012
Dennis H. Ferro
(C. D. Gelatt, Jr.)*	Director	March 8, 2012
C. D. Gelatt, Jr.
(S. L. Helton)*	Director	March 8, 2012
S. L. Helton
(R. L. Keyser)*	Director	March 8, 2012
R. L. Keyser
(L. Maestri)*	Director	March 8, 2012
L. Maestri
(A. K. Mathrani)*	Director	March 8, 2012
A. K. Mathrani
(E. E. Tallett)*	Director	March 8, 2012
E. E. Tallett

*By /s/ L.D. Zimpleman
L. D. Zimpleman
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to Powers of Attorney
Previously Filed or Filed Within

POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director of Principal Life Insurance Company, an
Iowa corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints K. E. Shaff, L. D. Zimpleman, and J. N.
Hoffman, and each of them (with full power to each of them to act alone), the undersigned's true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution to each, for and on behalf and in the name, place and
stead of the undersigned, to execute and file any of the documents referred to below relating to registration under
the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to the following Principal Life Insurance Company variable annuity contract:
Principal Lifetime Income Solutions	File No. 333-171650
with premiums received in connection with such contracts held in the Principal Life Insurance Company Separate
Account B (File #811-02091) on Form N-4 or other forms under the Securities Act of 1933, and any and all
amendments thereto and reports thereunder with all exhibits and all instruments necessary or appropriate in
connection therewith, each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents and his or her or their substitutes being empowered
to act with or without the others or other, and to have full power and authority to do or cause to be done in the
name and on behalf of the undersigned each and every act and thing requisite and necessary or appropriate with
respect thereto to be done in and about the premises in order to effectuate the same, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person; hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-
fact and agents, or any of them, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned director has hereunto set his hand this 8th day of March, 2012.

/s/ Luca Maestri

______________________________________
L. Maestri