Why choose TIAA-CREF? Investing for retirement requires a lot of thought. TIAA-CREF has spent nearly 100 years thinking about it for you. Investing to achieve your personal financial goals can often present daunting challenges. At TIAA-CREF, we believe that well-thought-out retirement and financial planning can minimize many of those challenges. That we re always thinking ahead is just one of the many important reasons nearly 4 million of your colleagues in the academic, medical, cultural and research fields have trusted TIAA-CREF with their retirement investments. Here are a few more. What s different about TIAA-CREF? Following the fundamentals TIAA-CREF believes a central challenge of investing is to make money grow consistently over time while avoiding unintended risks. Our approach is built on these fundamentals: 1 2 3 4 5 Stick to investment objectives Maintain a diversified portfolio Understand market trends Control expenses Manage risk
Investments for your long-term goals We re known for our retirement plans,* and we also offer a variety of additional investment products to help you create a diversified portfolio: W W Launched in 1918, TIAA Traditional, a fixed annuity, offers participants safety and stability, competitive interest rates and the option to receive guaranteed income in retirement.** W W TIAA-CREF invented variable annuities in 1952, pioneering the use of variable annuities in funding retirement investing and generating income in retirement. W W TIAA-CREF is a global leader in socially responsible investing and advocating for sound governing practices at companies in which it invests. W W The CREF Social Choice Account, a balanced variable annuity account with 14.13 billion in assets (as of 5/31/14), is one of the largest comprehensively socially screened investment vehicles available to individual investors in the United States. Two in a row For two consecutive years, in 2013 and 2014, TIAA-CREF received the Lipper Fund Award for Best Overall Large Fund Company. 1 W W Mutual Funds: A diversified family of mutual funds designed to help meet a wide variety of investment goals and risk levels. 98% of TIAA-CREF s funds and variable annuity accounts received a Morningstar overall rating of 3, 4 or 5 stars across all asset classes. (As of March 31, 2014, 43% have 3 stars, 41% have 4 stars, and 14% have 5 stars.). 2 TIAA-CREF is ranked among the top 15 mutual fund families in a Lipper/Barron s Fund Family survey for the past three years, based on one-year asset-weighted total returns. 3 Questions? Call TIAA-CREF at 800 842-2252. Financial Consultants are available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. (ET); Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (ET). Schedule a one-on-one advice session - As a plan participant, you also have access to one-on-one retirement plan advice from a TIAA-CREF Financial Consultant at no additional cost to you. Schedule your advice session at 800 732-8353, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET), or www.tiaa-cref.org/ schedulenow. * TIAA-CREF retirement plans are not available to the general public but instead are offered through employers who have selected TIAA-CREF as a retirement plan provider. Depending on your employer, not all products may be available to participants. ** Subject to TIAA s claims paying ability. TIAA Traditional is a guaranteed insurance contract and not an investment for federal securities law purposes.
TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing Inc. ( TFI ) is proud to work with more state clients to manage more 529 savings plans than any other financial services organization. These 529s are distinctive for their low program-management fees and registered college savings experts. More than retirement Another benefit of working with TIAA-CREF is that we offer a range of competitive products and services that can address your other financial needs**, including: Managed Accounts IRAs Life Insurance Education Savings Banking with TIAA Direct **** Brokerage Services *** After-Tax Annuities Low fees We strive to keep our fees low to ensure more of your money is working hard for you. W W At TIAA-CREF, our fees are generally less than half the mutual fund industry average. 4 Based on Morningstar Direct data (3/13/2014), the expense ratio on all mutual fund products and variable annuity accounts managed by TIAA-CREF is generally less than half the mutual fund industry average. (69% are less than half their respective Morningstar Universe average and 60% are less than half their respective Morningstar Universe median.) That means more of your savings may compound over time. TIAA s high ratings For its stability, claims-paying ability and overall financial strength, TIAA is one of only three insurance groups in the United States to hold the highest financial strength ratings currently awarded from all four leading independent insurance industry ratings agencies. 5 ***Certain securities may not be suitable for all investors. Securities are not FDIC-insured and are not a deposit or other obligation of or guaranteed by any bank or TIAA-CREF. Securities are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. ****TIAA Direct is a division of TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender
Long-term commitment to nonprofits For nearly a century, TIAA-CREF has served those who serve others in the academic, medical, cultural and research fields. Our full focus is on your financial well-being. 3.9 4.8 $569B million clients in institutional retirement plans million individual clients One-on-one personalized guidance and advice TIAA-CREF consultants can offer you one-on-one planning, available at no additional cost to you, 6 to help you create a personalized retirement portfolio, based on your goals and your plan s investment options. W W If you work with a third-party Registered Investment Adviser, we have the services and support to help your adviser manage your TIAA-CREF accounts. Customized retirement income strategy As of March 31, 2014, we managed $569 billion in total assets for our clients Our retirement income options allow our consultants and advisors to offer targeted advice and guidance to help customize your retirement plan in line with your budget and income needs. Wherever you are, we re there. In person, by phone and online. We look at your whole financial picture where you are today, what s important to you and where you want to be at retirement to help you develop a course of action to help reach your goals. W W 8,000+ TIAA-CREF employees located in more than 90 locations WW Knowledgeable TIAA-CREF consultants are available to meet with you face to face or by phone, and to conduct retirement planning workshops, depending on your location W W 24/7 tools and information at tiaa-cref.org give you access to: Retirement Advisor, a do-it-yourself advice tool Retirement Income Planner to explore your income options 360 Financial View to see all your TIAA-CREF and other financial accounts in one place Myretirement.org, an online community for retirees Learn more about what makes TIAA-CREF different at www.tiaa-cref.org/public/about-us/why-tiaa-cref-different.
1 The Lipper Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12 and 11/30/13, respectively. TIAA-CREF was ranked against 36 fund companies in 2012 and 48 fund companies in 2013 with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit the Research and Performance section on tiaa-cref.org. 2 Morningstar ratings include Retail, Retirement, Premier and Institutional fund share classes that have completed one calendar year of performance; CREF Variable Annuity Accounts; and the Life Funds. Please note Morningstar rates CREF group variable annuities within the open-end mutual fund universe. Current rankings may be higher or lower on a monthly basis. Morningstar is an independent service that rates mutual funds and variable annuities. The top 10% of accounts in an investment category receive five stars, the next 22.5% receive four stars, and the next 35% receive three stars. Morningstar proprietary ratings reflect historical risk-adjusted performance and can change every month. They are calculated from the account s three-, five- and ten-year average annual returns in excess of 90-day Treasury bill returns with appropriate fee adjustments, and a risk factor that reflects subaccount performance below 90-day T-bill returns. The overall star ratings are Morningstar s published ratings, which are weighted averages of its three-, five- and ten-year ratings for periods ended 3/31/14. Past performance cannot guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit www.tiaacref.org/public/tcfpi/investresearch. 3 As of 12/31 for respective years, TIAA-CREF ranked 13th among 64 fund families in 2013, 10th among 62 fund families in 2012, 13th among 58 fund families in 2011. The Lipper/Barron s Fund Family survey uses an asset-weighted ranking system. Each fund s return was measured against all those in its Lipper category, and the resulting percentile ranking was then weighted by asset size relative to the fund family s other assets in its general category. The family s overall ranking was then determined by weighting the five fund categories in proportion to their overall importance within Lipper s fund universe. In the five-year overall ranking, TIAA-CREF is ranked 19th out of 55 mutual fund families in 2013, 29th out of 53 mutual fund families in 2012 and 2011. TIAA-CREF does not qualify for the 10-year ranking. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. 4 The expense ratio on all mutual fund products and variable annuity accounts managed by TIAA-CREF is generally less than half the mutual fund industry average. (69% are less than half their respective Morningstar Universe average and 60% are less than half their Morningstar Universe median). Source: Morningstar Direct, March 31, 2014. Our mutual fund and variable annuity products are subject to various fees and expenses, including but not limited to management, administrative, and distribution fees; our variable annuity products have an additional mortality and expense risk charge. 5 For its stability, claims-paying ability and overall financial strength, TIAA currently holds the following ratings: A.M. Best (A++ as of 5/14), Fitch (AAA as of 4/14), Moody s Investors Service (Aaa as of 4/14) and Standard & Poor s (AA+ as of 4/14). Per S&P criteria, the downgrade of U.S. long-term government debt limits the highest rating of U.S. insurers to AA+ (the second-highest rating available). There is no guarantee that current ratings will be maintained. Ratings represent a company s ability to meet policyholders obligations and claims, and do not apply to variable annuities, mutual funds or any other product or service not fully backed by TIAA s claims-paying ability. You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Please call 877 518-9161 for current product and fund prospectuses that contain this and other information. Please read the prospectuses carefully before investing. 6 Advice is provided on retirement plan assets using a third-party tool from Ibbotson Associates, Inc. Investment, insurance and annuity products are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed, are not bank deposits, are not insured by any federal government agency, are not a condition to any banking service or activity, and may lose value. TIAA-CREF products may be subject to market and other risk factors. See the applicable product literature, or visit tiaa-cref.org for details. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, and Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., members FINRA, distribute securities products. Annuity contracts and certificates are issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), New York, NY. TIAA Direct is a division of TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB. Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender FDIC. Life Insurance and after-tax annuity products are issued by TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company, New York, NY. Exclusions, restrictions, limitations, and reductions in benefits will, in certain situations, apply to your life insurance policy. Annuity contracts may contain surrender charges and terms for keeping them in force. For full details, including costs, call us at 877 554-8282. Please note that TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company has the right to contest the insurance policy for misrepresentation by the applicant. TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing Inc. (TFI) is the 529 college savings plans Program Manager. Brokerage Services are provided by TIAA-CREF Brokerage Services, a division of TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC. Advisory Services are provided by Advice & Planning Services, a division of TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Each of the foregoing entities is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. 2014 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 C17301 (06/14)