Understanding Tiaa Fund Investments: Where Is My Money?

TIAA offers a range of investment products and services to help individuals save for retirement and other financial goals. With TIAA, you can invest in stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, and more. You can choose to build your own investment portfolio or seek professional help from TIAA's financial experts. In addition to retirement annuities, TIAA also offers Health Savings Accounts, 529 Education Savings Plans, and other investment options to meet diverse financial needs. TIAA's investment choices include a variety of mutual funds, allowing individuals to diversify their investments across different asset classes and risk levels.

Mutual funds

TIAA offers a wide range of mutual funds through its investment manager, Nuveen. You can invest in mutual funds through your Brokerage account, TIAA IRA, or employer-sponsored Plan.

There are several types of mutual funds, including:

• Equity funds: These invest in the shares of companies and are generally riskier than other investments, but they can offer higher returns.
• Fixed income funds (bonds): These invest in government or corporate debt and are considered more conservative than most equity funds. They also provide the opportunity for income.
• International funds: These invest in the stocks and bonds of companies based outside of the U.S. and tend to be riskier than other equity investments due to currency fluctuations and political instability.
• Multi-asset funds: These invest in a combination of stocks, bonds, and other investments like cash or real estate, in a single fund. They are more diversified than a portfolio comprised entirely of one asset class.
• Lifecycle funds: These automatically adjust over time and are designed to help you save for retirement. The fund's investment mix shifts from a more aggressive to a more conservative approach as the target retirement date approaches.
• Lifestyle funds: These allow you to choose and maintain the risk level that's right for you.

Some specific examples of TIAA mutual funds include:

• Nuveen Life Core Equity Fund (Retail) TIIRX
• TIAA-CREF Large-Cap Value
• Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Admiral
• TIAA-CREF Social Choice Equity
• TIAA-CREF International Opportunities - Institutional

Retirement annuities

TIAA retirement annuities are available through your employer, who may have already enrolled you in an eligible plan. You can check with your benefits department or your plan's microsite to learn about your plan's features. You can also enroll online or through your employer. You may be able to choose how much to contribute and how to invest, and name your beneficiaries. Your contributions are automatically deducted from your paycheck and transferred to your retirement account.

TIAA also offers a traditional annuity, where your money grows no matter what. When you retire, you can convert those savings into a guaranteed monthly retirement paycheck. In the last three years, TIAA has shared $3 billion annually with more than 2 million fixed annuity customers.

TIAA has been in operation since 1918, championing the belief that a secure retirement should be available to everyone.

Health Savings Account

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged savings account designed to cover healthcare expenses today, tomorrow, or in retirement. The TIAA HSA, administered by HealthEquity, offers simplicity through integrated solutions that enable employees to take control of their healthcare expenses. With a TIAA HSA, employees can enjoy greater financial confidence, knowing they have more control over how to pay and save for healthcare expenses. The investment potential of HSAs also gives employees the opportunity to grow their savings for the future.

The TIAA HSA offers a diversified standard investment menu of low-cost TIAA-CREF and other mutual funds. Employees can access their TIAA HSA through the TIAA HSA member portal at healthequity.com or view their HSA balance on the TIAA website or mobile application. HSA Member services are available 24/7 to answer employee questions and provide ongoing education to help them make informed decisions about how to best use and maximize their TIAA HSA.

Powered by over 120 years of collective experience, TIAA and HealthEquity provide engaging educational resources, online calculators, mobile applications, and personalized online messaging to enable employees' pre-, during, and post-enrollment educational experience. Setting up and administering a TIAA HSA is easy, with a flexible proprietary platform that allows for seamless integration and a smooth implementation process.

The TIAA Retirement Healthcare Savings Program (RHSP) is a defined contribution retiree healthcare savings plan that complements your retirement plan. It provides tax-free savings for employees' healthcare expenses in retirement, including health plan premiums, Medicare parts, prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing aids, and other eligible out-of-pocket medical expenses.

529 Education Savings

TIAA offers a 529 Education Savings plan, a tax-advantaged investment account that enables you to save for education expenses with tax-free investment growth potential. This plan can be used to save for your children's, grandchildren's, or even your own education.

A 529 plan is a state-sponsored account that allows you to save and invest money for education expenses. The earnings in the plan are generally not subject to federal and state income tax, although there may be exceptions depending on your state. In some states, you may also receive a state income tax deduction or tax credit on your contributions.

The 529 plan can be used for a wide range of education expenses, including college tuition, fees, books, and other supplies. Additionally, since the implementation of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the plan can now be used for K-12 private school tuition, with an annual limit of $10,000.

One of the main benefits of the 529 plan is the tax-free compounding of your savings over the years, especially if you start saving when your child is young. The funds in the plan are typically invested in age-based portfolios with college-age withdrawals in mind.

TIAA also offers a College Savings Planning Calculator to help you create a personalized plan for saving for college. This planner takes into account factors such as your child's current age, their planned start date for college, your savings goals, and the estimated future cost of college.

It's important to note that the use of 529 plans for K-12 education may impact the overall savings strategy and the tax benefits associated with using the funds for higher education expenses. Consulting a TIAA advisor and accountant can help align your college savings strategy with your unique situation.

TIAA Traditional annuity

The annuity has two phases, designed to deliver certainty and income for life. In the first phase, you benefit from competitive interest crediting rates and a guaranteed minimum interest rate. As part of the guaranteed asset class, TIAA Traditional can help offset market fluctuations on other assets held in a diversified retirement portfolio. In the retirement income phase, you can choose from a range of income options to meet your unique needs. You can select when to convert your savings into lifetime income and add a guarantee period so that payments continue for your designated beneficiaries if you die before the period ends. You can also combine lifetime income with other income options, payment frequencies, and start dates to align with your retirement income and estate planning goals.

Frequently asked questions