Recognition honors outstanding three-year risk-adjusted performance across asset classes
Award underscores commitment to building clients’ long-term financial well-being
TIAA-CREF first company to win award three years in a row
New York, April 1, 2015 — TIAA-CREF, a leading financial services provider, today announced its designation as the Best Overall Large Fund Group by Lipper. This year’s award marks the third consecutive year that Lipper has recognized TIAA-CREF for demonstrating the best three-year risk-adjusted performance across multiple asset classes relative to peers in the Large Fund Group category, an unprecedented achievement in the history of the awards.
TIAA-CREF was one of 48 firms eligible for this year’s Large Fund Group award.i The award was presented to Carol Deckbar, executive vice president and chief executive officer of TIAA-CREF Asset Management, during the 2015 Lipper Fund Awards Ceremony, which took place on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 in New York.
“We are extremely honored to receive this award for the third year in a row,” said Robert Leary, executive vice president and president, Asset Management, TIAA-CREF. “Congratulations go out to the entire TIAA-CREF Asset Management organization, whose expertise and ongoing commitment to helping our clients achieve their long-term financial goals made this possible.”
TIAA-CREF’s proven research-based investment approach dates back to the firm’s founding in 1918. In addition to this award, TIAA-CREF ranked eighth out of 56 fund families in this year’s Barron’s/Lipper Fund Family Survey based on five-year asset-weighted performance within five asset classes.ii TIAA-CREF mutual funds also demonstrate strong Morningstar ratings, with 70 percent of funds earning 4- or 5-star Morningstar ratings as of Dec. 31, 2014 based on risk adjusted performance (52% are 4 stars and 18% are 5 stars).iii The expense ratios of TIAA-CREF mutual funds, which include equity, fixed income, target-date, target-risk and multi-asset class products, are among the lowest in the industry.iv
“This award is very meaningful because it speaks to the success we’ve achieved in aligning our firm with the long-term interests of our clients,” said Deckbar. “We believe this is powerful affirmation of our culture and investment approach because the Lipper Award is based on long-term, consistent, risk-adjusted performance across asset classes. Working to create outcomes that really matter for clients is why our company exists.”
TIAA-CREF launched its first mutual fund in 1997 and today has 62 mutual funds supported by a team of more than 300 seasoned investment professionals with an average of 17 years of experience, including a centralized research group that provides deep expertise across a wide range of asset classes. In 2014, TIAA-CREF expanded its mutual fund capabilities through the acquisition of Nuveen Investments. Together, TIAA-CREF and Nuveen manage approximately $143 billion in mutual fund assets.
About TIAA-CREF
TIAA-CREF (www.tiaa.org) is a national financial services organization with $851 billion in assets under management (as of 12.31.14) and is the leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields.
About the Lipper Fund Awards
The Lipper Fund Awards are part of the Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence, a global family of awards that celebrate exceptional performance throughout the professional investment community. The Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence recognize the world's top funds, fund management firms, sell-side firms, research analysts and investor relations teams. The Thomson Reuters Awards for Excellence also include the Extel Survey Awards, the StarMine Analyst Awards and the StarMine Broker Rankings. For more information, please contact markets.awards@thomsonreuters.com or visit www.excellence.thomsonreuters.com .