A decade of tracking financial literacy in America. Findings from the 2026 TIAA Institute–GFLEC Personal Finance Index
Ten years of data reveal persistently low and declining financial literacy among U.S. adults, with new findings on AI use, retirement fluency, and financial well-being.
Featured reports
The Louise Whitfield Carnegie Award for Leadership Excellence in Healthcare
Sponsored by the TIAA Institute and presented in partnership with Becker’s Healthcare, the Louise Whitfield Carnegie Award recognizes a senior healthcare executive who is setting a higher standard through values driven leadership, strong workforce practices, and measurable community impact.
Fellows spotlight
Fellows Chats & Leadership Conversations
TIAA Institute Fellow Marti DeLiema joins Surya Kolluri in a conversation about elder fraud trends and prevention.
TIAA Institute Reports
Original research produced by the TIAA Institute—both independently and in collaboration with noted scholars—examines topics of interest to the academic, nonprofit and public sectors. The reports combine statistical findings with thoughtful, data-driven observations and conclusions to provide in-depth analyses appropriate for both technical and general audiences.
The TIAA Institute Retirement Mosaic
Advances in medicine, nutrition, and public health mean Americans are living longer than ever. Laying the ground work for a truly fulfilling retirement requires far more than financial preparation. The TIAA Institute Retirement Mosaic offers a research-based planning framework to help individuals thrive across all dimensions of a longer life.
Alternative financial service use among retirees in the United States
In 2023, 9% of U.S. retirees were underbanked, holding bank accounts yet turning to alternative financial services such as money orders, check cashing, and payday loans. This TIAA Institute research brief explores who these retirees are, what services they use, and what their financial circumstances reveal about retirement security at the margins of mainstream finance.
Student preference for size of colleges and universities
As enrollment declines hit nearly every sector of higher education, institutions with 30,000 or more students have bucked the trend, gaining more than 750,000 students between 2011 and 2021. This report asks the critical question: is simple size preference driving that migration, or is something else at work?
401(k) participant behavior: Knowledge and action
This report from the TIAA Institute and Nuveen examines how 401(k) participants approach retirement withdrawal planning and measures their retirement fluency and longevity literacy, the foundational knowledge needed to make sound retirement decisions.
Contribution location decisions and inertia in retirement plans: Evidence from the nonprofit sector
This TIAA Institute research examines how nonprofit sector employees make contribution location decisions — specifically, whether to direct retirement savings to traditional pre-tax or Roth accounts. The study explores how participant characteristics, plan design features, and behavioral inertia shape these decisions and their implications for retirement security.
Advancement at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
This research examines how advancement professionals at Historically Black Colleges and Universities are leveraging data-driven strategies and innovative alumni engagement approaches to strengthen fundraising and build lasting institutional support.
