We work for every future.
Everyone deserves a secure retirement. For more than 100 years, we've delivered it for millions of people—and we're just getting started.
Why TIAA
We know retirement
Generations of Americans trust TIAA with their retirements. We equip them with knowledge, advice, and the assurance of lifetime income.
We guarantee income for life
Not sure when you can retire? Or how much you can spend once you do? We help you replace your working income with a monthly retirement check1—no matter how long your retirement lasts.
We invest with excellence
We invest across a wide range of global assets, including stocks and bonds. This diversity means you never have to choose between keeping your money safe and seeing meaningful growth.
We guide success
Whatever path you're on, there's an expert ready to help. From one-on-one consulting to online support, our mission is to help you go with confidence.
We manage wealth
We work with you to achieve your financial goals with a range of solutions and strategies designed to help maximize the impact of your money when you retire.
We are different
With no public shareholders—and a charter that requires TIAA to operate without profit—TIAA is uniquely able to return profits to participants2 and reinvest in our business for future sharing.
Our latest
The TIAA promise
A monthly retirement check, guaranteed
At TIAA, we believe that people deserve security. So we make a promise: setting aside a portion of your assets with TIAA can guarantee you a monthly retirement check for as long as you live, guaranteed.
TIAA is ranked among world's most ethical companies
A new chapter begins in Frisco
Located at The Star in Frisco, Texas, our new state-of-the-art corporate center is powered entirely by renewable energy. This reflects our commitment to improving the communities we call home. Learn more about our work and culture.
Love, loss and legacy
TIAA President & CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett talks about her path to being one of the few current Black women leaders in the Fortune 500 and what drives her focus on retirement security for millions of Americans.
Investing in innovation for financial well-being
TIAA Ventures drives innovation at TIAA by partnering with visionary companies across fintech, AI & Machine Learning, and retirement solutions. This helps to revolutionize our financial and retirement services.
Our history
First movers from day one
We got our start in 1918, fighting to make secure retirement possible for America's educators. Today, our solutions and forward-thinking guidance help millions of people retire securely, with freedom and dignity.
Andrew Carnegie founds TIAA
One of history's greatest visionaries, Andrew Carnegie believed in a secure retirement for all educators. His new organization introduces a fully funded pension system specifically for teachers across the United States.
We invent the variable annuity
TIAA forms CREF — the first-ever variable annuity. An innovative new product, it offers a diversified fund of common stocks to help investors fight inflation.
We introduce Social Choice
Early advocates for value-driven and ESG investing, TIAA introduces Social Choice, an innovative variable annuity that offers investors a socially responsible investment option.
TIAA acquires Nuveen
The globally renowned asset manager strengthens TIAA's asset management capabilities, enhancing our ability to provide reliable, competitive lifetime income solutions.
Take action
Let's get started
Enroll in your plan
Learn about your plan, set up your account online and start saving for retirement right now.
Open an IRA
Interested in what an IRA can do for you? Whatever your goals, we have an IRA to match. Let's find yours.
Get advice
From saving and investing to leaving a legacy for your loved ones, we'll help make your money do more for you.
Discover more
Careers
Experience a collaborative, fulfilling career as a member of the TIAA team.
Connect with us
Our team is here to deliver guidance and insight at every step of your journey.
Governance & accountability
Our ability to serve is based on our ability to earn and keep your trust. See how we hold ourselves to the highest standard.
What people ask us
What does TIAA or CREF actually mean?
Good question. Let's break it down.
TIAA is our name, and it stands for Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America. Our friends call us TIAA—you can, too.
CREF is the College Retirement Equities Fund, a variable annuity we created in 1952.
What is the difference between TIAA and CREF?
Though you often hear them used together, TIAA and CREF are different things. TIAA is our company name, while CREF is a variable annuity that we created and provide to our customers.
Because we made CREF, you may hear people refer to it as TIAA CREF.
What is an annuity?
Annuities help you establish a reliable income stream in retirement through a monthly check.
The payments that you get from an annuity are guaranteed for as long as you live, which gives you the assurance that, once you leave the workforce, you'll have income you can count on.
1. Retirement check refers to the annuity income received in retirement. Guarantees are subject to TIAA's claims-paying ability.
2. TIAA may share profits with Traditional Retirement annuity owners through declared additional amounts of interest and through increases in annuity income throughout retirement. Additional amounts are on TIAA Traditional annuity contracts available within an employer-sponsored plan. Additional amounts may be increased the longer accumulation occurs before annuitization. These additional amounts are discretionary, and are not guaranteed.
Annuities are designed for retirement and other long-term goals. They offer several payment options, including lifetime income. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuer. However, payments from CREF and TIAA variable annuities are not guaranteed, and the payment amounts will rise or fall depending on investment returns. If you choose to invest in the variable investment products, your money will also be subject to the risks associated with investing in securities, including loss of principal.
Responsible investing incorporates Environmental Social Governance (ESG) factors that may affect exposure to issuers, sectors, industries, limiting the type and number of investment opportunities available, which could result in excluding investments that perform well.
This material is for informational or educational purposes only and is not fiduciary investment advice, or a securities, investment strategy, or insurance product recommendation. This material does not consider an individual’s own objectives or circumstances which should be the basis of any investment decision.