The TIAA Loyalty Bonus
Retire with the TIAA Loyalty Bonus for saving over the years.
The exclusive TIAA Loyalty Bonus® can mean bigger retirement checks.1, 2 If you save in TIAA Traditional,* you are already eligible.
*Issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), New York, NY.
What it is
A reward just for saving with TIAA Traditional
The TIAA Loyalty Bonus is an exclusive, only-from-us benefit for those who contribute regularly to TIAA Traditional.* Long-term contributors to TIAA Traditional have historically received retirement checks 15% higher on average at the time of retirement versus those transferring in shortly before and selecting lifetime income.3
*Lifetime income payments from TIAA Traditional may include a TIAA Loyalty Bonus which is discretionary and determined annually.
How it works
The longer you save in TIAA Traditional, the more the TIAA Loyalty Bonus may grow.
You are automatically eligible for the TIAA Loyalty Bonus when you save in TIAA Traditional.
Build
You become eligible for the TIAA Loyalty Bonus as soon as you begin saving in TIAA Traditional. The longer you save, the higher your monthly retirement checks may be when you retire.
Maintain
As you keep or add to your savings in TIAA Traditional, your TIAA Loyalty Bonus opportunity increases, setting yourself up for a potentially larger check during retirement.
Receive
When you retire, you can turn some or all of your TIAA Traditional savings into monthly retirement checks you can count on for life.4 Your TIAA Loyalty Bonus would be automatically added to your regular monthly payment.
Three approaches to retirement income at age 67.
Saving regularly in TIAA Traditional and maintaining your balance is the only way to receive the TIAA Loyalty Bonus. Making that choice can make a significant difference in retirement income. Learn how three retirees use a portion of their savings ($200,000) to start their retirement income.5
Manuel, 67
Withdraws 4% of savings each year
Retirement savings: $200,000
Action: Withdraws 4% annually from his $200,000 retirement savings.
Receives TIAA Loyalty Bonus: No
Year 1 monthly income: $667
Janice, 67
Saves in TIAA Traditional at retirement
Retirement savings: $200,000
Action: Transfers her savings into TIAA Traditional at retirement and activates retirement checks.
Receives TIAA Loyalty Bonus: No
Year 1 monthly income: $1,301
Latif, 67
Saves in TIAA Traditional over 20 years
Retirement savings: $200,000
Action: Saves $200,000 in TIAA Traditional over 20 years and activates retirement checks.
Receives TIAA Loyalty Bonus: Yes
Year 1 monthly income: $1,565
The earlier participants have started, the more they’ve received in additional income.
The longer participants have contributed to TIAA Traditional, the larger checks have typically been at retirement.*
Based on past historical data, here’s how much participants have received in additional income, depending on how many years they contributed to TIAA Traditional.6
*Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Our commitment
We share our profits with you, not shareholders.
With no public shareholders, TIAA is uniquely able to return profits to TIAA Traditional participants.7
We share profits three ways:
Higher interest rates
Since 1948, TIAA has credited interest above our guaranteed rate so you earn more while saving.
Exclusive TIAA Loyalty Bonus
The TIAA Loyalty Bonus may increase retirement checks when you keep saving in TIAA Traditional over time.
Raises in retirement
TIAA has increased retirement check amounts 19 times in the past 30 years.8
next steps
Looking to begin receiving your TIAA Loyalty Bonus? Start here.
Check your estimated TIAA Loyalty Bonus
Log in to your TIAA account to learn how much you may receive.
Activate retirement checks.
If you’re nearing or in retirement, connect with one of our retirement income specialists to learn how to receive your retirement checks and TIAA Loyalty Bonus by annuitizing your account.
If you’re retiring in the next 12 months, call 888-380-6424. If you’re retiring in more than 12 months, call 800-842-2252. We’re here weekdays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
What people ask us.
What is the TIAA Loyalty Bonus?
The TIAA Loyalty Bonus is an exclusive benefit that may be paid to long-term TIAA Traditional contributors like you. It’s the term TIAA uses to highlight the additional income that long-term contributors may receive compared to new contributors if they choose lifetime income (annuitization).
How much is my TIAA Loyalty Bonus?
You can see an estimate of your TIAA Loyalty Bonus at any time by logging in to your online account at tiaa.org and using the
Do I need to do anything to get my TIAA Loyalty Bonus?
Simply by adding to or maintaining your existing TIAA Traditional balance, you may be setting yourself up for a TIAA Loyalty Bonus if you choose lifetime income as your retirement payout option. If you transfer money out of TIAA Traditional or choose not to annuitize, you may forfeit some or all of the TIAA Loyalty Bonus you may have otherwise been eligible to receive.
How is the TIAA Loyalty Bonus paid to me?
The TIAA Loyalty Bonus is included in the payments you will receive when you convert your TIAA Traditional balance to monthly lifetime income. It’s not paid as a lump sum. You can use the
Is my TIAA Loyalty Bonus guaranteed?
While additional amounts of income, including the TIAA Loyalty Bonus, are not guaranteed for future years and will vary, additional amounts have always been a key priority for TIAA. We've given TIAA Loyalty Bonuses for more than 30 consecutive years.
How long do I have to contribute to TIAA Traditional before I'm considered a long-term contributor?
Long-term contributors to TIAA Traditional are those who have either contributed consistently over a working career or have continually held a TIAA Traditional balance. Generally speaking, these contributors may begin to see a TIAA Loyalty Bonus amount at or around five years of continuous participation in TIAA Traditional.
If I have multiple TIAA Traditional accounts with different interest rates, will my TIAA Loyalty Bonus vary between accounts?
The TIAA Loyalty Bonus, if any, is based upon the length of time funds remain in TIAA Traditional. If you contributed to different accounts at different times, the TIAA Loyalty Bonus will vary based on the length of time funds are in each account.
What does “annuitize” mean?
To annuitize, also referred to as annuitization, means turning the savings in your annuity into an income stream. At TIAA we often say “activate retirement checks,” because when you annuitize you can start receiving monthly lifetime income payments.4
A new way to learn about retirement annuities.
TIAA has created a brand-new digital experience to help you understand retirement annuities including how they work, the difference between fixed and variable and how they can offer assurance that you’ll have money coming in for as long as you live.
Give us a call at 800-732-8353, weekdays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (ET), or schedule an appointment.
Any guarantees under annuities issued by TIAA are subject to TIAA's claims-paying ability. TIAA Traditional is a guaranteed insurance contract and not an investment for federal securities law purposes.
1Retirement checks refers to the annuity income received in retirement. Guarantees of fixed monthly payments are only associated with TIAA's fixed annuities.
2Lifetime income payments from TIAA Traditional may include a TIAA Loyalty Bonus which is discretionary and determined annually.
3Based on an analysis of income benefits available to participants who have made level monthly contributions for 30 years to TIAA Traditional, relative to participants who deposited the same accumulated balance into TIAA Traditional just before converting to lifetime income. Assumes a participant age 67, single life annuity with a 10-year guaranteed period, and average payment differentials each month for retirement dates over the last 30 years ending Dec. 31, 2023. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
4Converting some or all of your savings to income benefits (referred to as "annuitization") is a permanent decision. Once income benefit payments have begun, you are unable to change to another option.
5This illustration is hypothetical and is intended to provide the reader with a general idea of the approximate level of potential change in income based upon the length of time funds are invested in TIAA Traditional. Calculations based on actual historical results. $50,000 contributed to the TIAA Traditional Retirement Annuity on Mar. 1, 2004, accumulated through Mar. 1, 2024 along with $229 monthly contributions. Income based on a single-life annuity with a 10-year guaranteed period at age 67, starting on Mar. 1, 2024. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Additional amounts may be declared on a year-to-year basis by the TIAA Board of Trustees. Such additional amounts, when declared, remain in effect for the “declaration year,” which begins each March 1 for accumulating annuities and January 1 for payout annuities. Additional amounts are not guaranteed for periods other than the period for which they were declared.
6Results based on rolling monthly data for retirement dates each month from Jan. 1, 1994 to Jan. 1, 2024. This chart compares long-term contributors versus new contributors to highlight the difference in initial income. The long-term contributor represents a participant who has accumulated savings in TIAA Traditional and assumes level monthly contributions over the stated investment periods. The new contributor represents a participant who has accumulated savings outside of TIAA Traditional. The new contributor deposits their savings into TIAA Traditional the day before annuity payments begin, when both the new and long-term contributors are age 67. Both annuitize the same dollar amount, and select a single-life annuity with a 10-year guaranteed period. 361 individual retirement month cohorts were analyzed. Percentages represent the average difference in initial income over each of the time periods for a long- term contributor versus a new contributor. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
7TIAA may share profits with TIAA Traditional Annuity owners through declared additional amounts of interest during accumulation, higher initial annuity income, and through further increases in annuity income benefits during retirement. These additional amounts are not guaranteed beyond the period for which they were declared.
8The “new money” TIAA retiree received only 18 raises while the long-term contributor received 19. While since 2006 all retirees have received the same percentage raises, from 1994 to 2005 raises were assigned by vintage, leading to differences between retirees. The actual average annualized raises over the past 10 years was 1.2% for both TIAA retirees, was 0.85% over 20 years for both retirees, and over 30 years was 0.87% for the long-term contributor and 0.83% for “new money.” The average raise in the years it was given over the past 30 years has been 1.4% for both retirees.
9IMPORTANT: The projections or other information generated by the Retirement Income Illustrator regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes, investment allocations and retirement income are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual results and are not guarantees of future results. Results may vary with each use and over time.
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.
TIAA Traditional is a fixed annuity product issued through these contracts by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017: Form series including but not limited to: 1000.24; G-1000.4; IGRS-01-84-ACC; IGRSP-01-84-ACC; 6008.8. Not all contracts are available in all states or currently issued.
Annuity contracts may contain terms for keeping them in force. We can provide you with costs and complete details.