Personal annuities

Call us at 877-554-8282 or check out our Annuity Cost Saving Tool to see how much you could save in expenses.1

Get the basics

Where personal annuities fit into your retirement planning

What is a personal annuity?

A personal annuity, also called an after-tax annuity, can help you build additional retirement savings and is not subject to income rules or contribution limits like your 401(k), 403(b) or IRA. Another key advantage is that you pay no taxes on any growthOpens dialog until you begin taking income.

Working and Retired years

If you want an additional way to save for retirement outside of an employer plan, consider a personal annuity. Personal annuities offer options that can provide guaranteed income for life when you retire.2

Important information Opens dialog
Our products

Find a personal annuity that's right for you

Personal annuities

Variable

Potential for increased earnings but also added risk.

Personal annuities

Fixed

Choose a guaranteed rate of return.

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Help me to choose

Not sure which annuity to pick?

Let us help. Answer these simple questions to find out which annuity might be right for you.

When do you want to start getting payments?

We suggest

Now

Immediate Income Annuity

Turn some of your money into guaranteed income.*

 

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Help me choose

Later

Which matters more to you?

Help me choose

Consider exchanging your existing annuity for our annuity

We have some of the lowest annual annuity fees in the industry and no surrender charges.6

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Why Us

We take our responsibility to retirees seriously

After you stop working, reliable income becomes a lifeline.

lighthouse

We'll be there for you in retirement

We've offered annuities for over 100 years.3

We invented the variable annuity

Since 1952, we’ve been working to make it better for you.4

Dedicated to serving you

One of the world's most ethical organizations. Named a World's Most Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute for seven consecutive years.5

We do annuities differently

Annuities issued by TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (TIAA Life), New York, New York.

See how our annuities can help you Opens dialog
Low costs? Yes 94% of our investment choices are the lowest cost in the industry. 6
Not enough money? As low as $2,500 Minimum startup investment. 7
Lose control of my money? No You decide where you invest, for what period. You can even walk away.
you keep my money in all cases if I die early? No Your beneficiary gets your money if you die before taking payments.
High insurance company ratings? Yes TIAA Life has the highest rating from three of four independent ratings agencies.8

The financial strength ratings for the issuing company do not apply to the safety or performance of the variable accounts, which will fluctuate in value.

Take action

See annuity performance

The performance of your annuity starts with the quality of your investments.

Give us a call

Speak to an annuity representative.

We’re here to help.

Weekdays, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (ET)

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Calculator

Need to fill an income gap?

See how much an annuity can help.

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Set up your financial dashboard

Register online and view all of your money in one place.

*Guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.

1 Our Annuity Cost Saving Tool is not approved for use in the state of Oregon.

2 Annuities are designed for retirement or other long-term goals, and offer a variety of income options, including lifetime income.If you choose to invest in the variable investment products, your money will be subject to the risks associated with investing in securities, including loss of principal. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuer. Payments from the variable annuity accounts are not guaranteed and will rise or fall based on investment performance.

3 TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company was established in 1996 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, which was established in 1918. Each company is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual commitments.

4 The first variable annuity was created by College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF) in 1952.

5 2015-2021. The World's Most Ethical Company assessment is based upon the Ethisphere Institute's Ethics Quotient® (EQ) framework, which offers a quantitative way to assess a company's performance in an objective, consistent and standardized way. The information collected provides a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies, rather than all aspects of corporate governance, risk, sustainability, compliance and ethics. Scores are generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance program (35%), corporate citizenship and responsibility (20%), culture of ethics (20%), governance (15%) and leadership, innovation and reputation (10%), and provided to all companies who participate in the process.

TIAA Life's Intelligent Variable Annuity's maximum annuity expense charge ranges from 0.45% to 0.70%. If the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit option is selected, the fee is 0.10% and the maximum expense charge ranges from 0.55% to 0.80%. All expense information presented here is as of the prospectus dated May 1, 2021. Please see the prospectus for more information. According to Morningstar, the average annuity expense charge is 1.27% for all nongroup variable annuity subaccounts in Morningstar Direct as of April 1, 2021. ©2021 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

7 $2,500 minimum investment for Intelligent Variable Annuity only; subsequent investments require $250 or more. Minimum for Investment Horizon Annuity is $5,000. We reserve the right to limit premiums to no more than $1,000,000 in a calendar year. See contract for details.

For its stability, claims-paying ability and overall financial strength, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company is a member of one of only three insurance groups in the United States to hold the highest rating available to U.S. insurers from three of the four leading independent insurance company rating agencies. TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (TIAA Life) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA). TIAA Life holds the following ratings as a result of its relationship with TIAA: A.M. Best (A++ as of 7/21), Fitch (AAA as of 11/21) and Standard & Poor's (AA+ as of 9/21), and the second highest possible rating from Moody's Investors Service (Aa1 as of 5/21). There is no guarantee that current ratings will be maintained. The financial strength ratings represent a company's ability to meet policyholders' obligations and claims, and do not apply to variable annuities or any other product or service not fully backed by TIAA Life's claims-paying ability. The ratings also do not apply to the safety or the performance of the variable accounts, which will fluctuate in value.

This material is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute fiduciary investment advice under ERISA, a securities recommendation under all securities laws, or an insurance product recommendation under state insurance laws or regulations. This material does not take into account any specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on the investor's own objectives and circumstances.

Please keep in mind that annuities are designed for retirement and other long-term goals. If you choose to invest in the variable investment products, your money will be subject to the risks associated with investing in securities, including loss of principal.

For any lump sum withdrawal from the TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity, federal income tax law requires that any tax-deferred earnings must be withdrawn first, followed by principal. If you own multiple annuity contracts issued by the same company during the same calendar year, the IRS will treat all your contracts as one for tax reporting on any lump sum taken.

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, member FINRA distributes securities products. Each of the foregoing is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. Some products may not be available in all states.

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