Celebrating participants
Our shared journey to retirement security
We are kicking off the first ever Retirement Plan Participant Celebration Month! TIAA appreciates all of our retirement plan participants—for the work you do every day and for the trust you have placed in us for your retirement.
Real people. Real stories
Earlier this year, we connected with a few of our retirement plan participants to learn more about them, their work and how they feel about their journeys to retirement. These are their stories.
- Hi, I'm Amy Salovin.
- My name is Sheba D. Tartt.
- I'm Lauren Reed.
- My name is Krystle Land.
- My name is Daniel Francois Diaz.
- I'm Alicia Watson.
- My perfect vision would be is that I have enough funds to cover all of our life expenses, our medical needs, everything that we might need.
- When I think about and plan for my retirement, I know that I want to travel, I hope that I'm healthy enough to do so.
- I really just wanna spend a lot of time making art and not having to worry about paying the bills.
- I have a special needs grandson, his name is Brandon Alexander Walker. And as I move towards retirement, I look forward to experience another chapter in our lives as far as greatness, as far as unity.
- I think about retirement and I picture myself on vacation, a beach somewhere, maybe a cruise.
- I would heavily rely on TIAA to help me think about those questions.
- I always encourage people to get TIAA, even if they're not thinking about retirement.
- TIAA will educate you on how to be prepared.
- When I started investing with TIAA, I felt like I got really good advice early on and that I was able to catch up. And I think coming into my 30s and feeling unprepared and then now approaching my 40s, I'm feeling really prepared and more comfortable thinking about retirement and looking toward the future.
- And how important making plans are for the future, 'cause you don't know what will happen and it's good to have support and partnership in these goals of being secure in your life. And I really appreciate having that advice and support from a place like TIAA.
- In seven months, I, Sheba D. Tartt, will begin my new adventure as a retiree. And 2025 I will be living my best life and I'm grateful.
In their own words
We asked our participant panelist questions and these are their answers.1
How do you feel about your future retirement?
“If I’m being honest, I don’t think too much about retirement … but If I ever get there, I would love to start a non-profit organization, focus on art projects and enjoy not having to worry about paying the bills.”
Krystle Land, Nursing Operations Coordinator & TIAA Participant
How do you feel about your retirement journey?
“When I turned 30, I felt terrible! But since then, I feel like I’m in such a better position now. Working with TIAA, I’ve been able to save an amount of money I’m much more excited about. Retirement feels attainable now.”
Lauren Reed - Educator & TIAA Participant
Do you have any big retirement plans or goals?
“Travel is very important to me, both for my job, but also personally. Part of my plan for retirement is to save enough money to be able to travel with my family – I’ve been to 63 countries so far and I hope to get to 100. That’s my life goal.”
Daniel Diaz, Director, Center of International Studies & TIAA Participant
Lets connect
How do you feel about your retirement journey?
Lets work together to create your own story.
Did you have an “a-ha’ moment when it comes to planning for retirement?
“I thought I had a pretty good understanding of personal finance, but when it comes to retirement, I really didn’t. As I was navigating student loan debt, I kept reading about the importance of saving for retirement. So, by taking it step-by-step, doing research, and meeting with an on-site representative, I now really understand my plan and options for retirement.”
Amy Salovin, Assistant Director, Faculty Administrative Services & TIAA Participant
As a coach yourself, how do you see TIAA as a resource?
“Every coach needs a coach, and TIAA can help me continue growing, so that I can achieve my financial goals into retirement and beyond.”
Alicia Watson, Sports Performance Coach & TIAA Participant
What does retirement look like to you?
“In 2025 (when I plan to retire), I will be living my best life and I’m grateful.”
Sheba Tartt, Administrative Assistant & TIAA Participant
I’m not afraid of the financial aspects of retirement. Granted, I know my standard of living is going to change, but I’m very happy with my plans and what they’ve done. I don’t know anyone who has a magic number of how much money you need, but I am looking forward to retirement.
Continue reading
Balancing vacation spending
Balancing vacation spending and saving for retirement. When it comes to planning for and taking a vacation, it is important to balance the short-term costs of a vacation and your longer-term saving and retirement goals.
Creating unique plans
Work with a professional to create your unique retirement plan. In an hour or less, we can review your account and goals for retirement and discuss potential changes that you can make to help you meet these goals. We can meet in person, over the phone or online in a chat session.
Our retirement promise to you
A promise you’ll never run out of money. A promise of a retirement paycheck for as long as you live. A promise that honors your work, your life, and your promises.
1 These stories describe the circumstances and experiences of specific participants from one or more of the companies in the TIAA organization (“TIAA”). It may not be representative of the experience of other TIAA customers and is not indicative of future performance or success. Individual results and experiences will vary.