Ira investment options
An IRA is just a basket. It’s what’s inside that matters.
When you open a new IRA or entrust all your savings to a single provider, you want an expansive menu that ensures your basket will always be filled with investments that meet your evolving needs. Get started today with personalized advice, or do it yourself.
Overview
IRAs from TIAA are powerfully different
Investment flexibility
Build a custom portfolio with nearly 100 investment options, or choose a prebuilt portfolio that updates automatically to keep you on track.
Guaranteed growth, income for life
Get guaranteed growth and income for as long as you live with TIAA Traditional, our flagship fixed annuity—one of the primary benefits of a TIAA IRA.
Actionable advice, at no charge
With no fee—and no minimums—we’ll provide you with personalized recommendations on how to invest your IRA savings.
Featured ira investments
Make the most of your IRA
TIAA IRAs offer a wide array of investment choices and a century of expertise in helping you leverage them.
TIAA Traditional
TIAA Traditional is our flagship fixed annuity and can create stability within your IRA. This portion of your retirement savings is guaranteed to grow every day and can be converted into regular retirement checks that last as long as you live.
What it is: A fixed annuity.
Features: Guaranteed growth while saving, guaranteed income for life during retirement; potential for bigger retirement checks from the TIAA Loyalty Bonus®.
Role in IRA: Can help protect you by ensuring you’ll always have an income stream during retirement.
Mutual funds
A mutual fund is collection of investments in a single fund. Each mutual fund is different, so you can choose one that fits your preferences.
What it is: Money pooled from many investors to purchase a mix of investments, like stocks, bonds, or other securities.
Features: Professionally managed, fully diversified, multiple types for various risk tolerances.
Role in IRA: Can help add diversity to your portfolio.
*Issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), New York, NY.
Simplified ira investments
Choose an “all-in-one” option...
Keep it simple with a diversified portfolio managed by professionals and built around your goals.
Target date funds
A target date fund is a simple way to invest based around your retirement “target date.”
What it is: A mix of investments that automatically adjusts from more aggressive to more conservative as you approach retirement.
Features: Professionally managed, diversified.
Role in IRA: Provides convenience and ease for those who prefer not to choose and manage their own investments.
Lifestyle (target risk) funds
A lifestyle fund is a simple way to invest based on how much risk you’re comfortable taking.
What it is: A mix of investments that aims to create different levels of risk for different risk tolerances.
Features: Professionally managed, diversified.
Role in IRA: Provides convenience and ease for those who prefer not to choose and manage their own investments.
Self-directed ira investments
Or, create your own portfolio
Build a custom portfolio with nearly 100 investment options across a range of risk levels.
Annuities
Annuities allow you to grow your savings and replace part of your salary in retirement. There are two types: fixed and variable.
What it is: A way to save money and then receive income for the rest of your life—this is called lifetime income.
Features: Fixed annuities offer a guaranteed growth rate and predictable retirement income. Variable annuities offer variable growth and income.
Role in IRA: Offer stability (fixed annuities), offer growth potential with more risk (variable annuities).
Mutual funds
A mutual fund is a collection of investments in a single fund. Choose from our selection of 80+ funds to help build your portfolio.
What it is: Money pooled from many people to purchase a mix of stocks, bonds, or other securities. When you invest in a mutual fund you’re buying shares of the fund, making you a partial owner of each investment.
Features: Professionally managed, fully diversified, multiple types for various risk tolerances.
Role in IRA: Can help add diversity to your portfolio.
Cash management
If you want the security of an FDIC-insured account with easy access to cash for emergencies, consider TIAA Retirement Reserves.1
What it is: TIAA Retirement Reserves is a bank demand deposit account, similar to a low-yield savings account.
Features: Easily accessible cash, earns a low interest rate, FDIC insured.
Role in IRA: Offers easy access to your money.
Brokerage option
If you want a wider range of investments than what’s available through an IRA, for example individual stocks and bonds, consider a brokerage option.
What it is: An IRA ‘sub-account’ where you can trade a wider range of investments through TIAA Brokerage.
Features: No minimum balance requirement, annual fee, or maintenance fees.
Role in IRA: Can help you diversify or pursue a specific investment objective.
Why consider an annuity as part of your IRA
How to invest
How to choose IRA investments
Do it yourself or let us help find the best investments for your Roth or traditional IRA. Either way, you’re in control.
Think about what your life will be like
These are your practical considerations. When do you want to retire? How much time do you have to save? What expenses wil you have? The answer to these questions will shape how aggressively you invest and how much risk you can take on.
Consider your risk profile
Your relationship with risk will shape your investing approach.
Create a diverse portfolio
Diversification means spreading your money across different types of investments, which can help you reach long-term investing goals while managing short-term market fluctuations.
Or, let us help
If you prefer not to do it yourself, we can help. Your built-in advice benefit makes investing easy with a personalized recommendation for your investment mix and allocations.
Next steps
Ready to start?
Contribute.
Make a contribution to your existing IRA by logging into your account.
Make investment choices.
Allocate your IRA by logging into your account.
Get advice.
Answer some simple questions about your financial situation and goals, and we’ll create a personalized recommendation.
Open an IRA.
Open your IRA online or give us a call at 844-TIAA-IRA (844-842-2472). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (ET).
Roll over.
Consolidate your financial life by rolling over your existing retirement account into a TIAA IRA. We make it simple, with zero costs or fees.
Find out which IRA is right for you.
Our IRA selector tool can help you choose an IRA that can work for your unique financial needs and retirement goals.
What people ask us
Can I invest in more than one thing?
Yes. You can split your money among different investments in whatever percentage you’d like. And, in fact, it’s generally a good idea to make multiple investments across different asset classes to achieve a diversified portfolio.
Why invest in an annuity if my IRA is already considered tax-deferred?
While it’s true that annuities are tax-deferred, meaning you only pay taxes when you start withdrawing your assets, annuities offer very distinct advantages over other types of investments.
The largest benefit of an annuity in your IRA is what’s called annuitization. This is when you convert your annuity savings into retirement checks for a time period you decide. If you choose a lifetime income option, you’ll receive these checks for life, no matter how long you live.
Most investments don’t guarantee anything. With an annuity, you’re guaranteed to receive payouts, which may help you create more retirement security than other types of investments. If you choose to annuitize, a fixed annuity guarantees regular payments that will never dip below your guaranteed payout rate. A variable annuity guarantees payments, but the amount varies based on how the annuity’s investments are performing.
How to invest an IRA
The first decision you make is whether you have the time and desire to manage your money yourself. If the answer is no, you might want a simplified option that’s we manage for you. If you’d prefer to invest on your own, you can choose from the IRA’s investment menu, taking into consideration your potential retirement date, your risk tolerance, and ensuring you create a diversified portfolio. If you want your IRA to supplement any other retirement savings, you may want to consider an annuity. No matter which direction you choose, our advice tools are always available to support you.
We’re here to help
Give us a call at 844-TIAA IRA (844-842-2472), weekdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, or schedule an appointment.
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.
Any guarantees under annuities issued by TIAA are subject to TIAA's claims-paying ability.
Annuity contracts may contain terms for keeping them in force. We can provide you with costs and complete details.
TIAA Traditional is a fixed annuity issued 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.
Lifetime income payments from TIAA Traditional may include a TIAA Loyalty Bonus® which is discretionary and determined annually.
1 TIAA Retirement Reserves is a demand deposit account with the Retirement Reserves Bank, currently EverBank, N.A. and is only available as an investment option within your TIAA IRA. Please refer to the TIAA Retirement Reserves Terms and Conditions for additional information.
In assessing the extent of FDIC insurance coverage for your balance in TIAA Retirement Reserves, which is generally limited to $250,000, such balance will be combined with other deposits you may have with the Retirement Reserves Bank, currently EverBank, N.A. in the same FDIC ownership category, which may occur through TIAA Retirement Reserves balances related to other TIAA individual retirement accounts (IRAs), IRA balances in the TIAA Cash Deposit Account, the TIAA Brokerage Sweep associated with retirement-related TIAA brokerage accounts, or through IRAs offered directly by the Retirement Reserves Bank. Please visit www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposits/ for additional information regarding FDIC insurance coverage.