This material is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or investment advice in connection with a distribution, transfer or rollover, a purchase or sale of securities or other investment property, or the management of securities or other investments, including the development of an investment strategy or retention of an investment manager or advisor. 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 in consultation with an investor's personal advisor based on the investor's own objectives and circumstances.
Account forms
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An IRA adoption agreement form (PDF) certifies your eligibility to open an IRA and authorizes us to administer the account.
By signing the form, you are certifying that you have the authority and legal capacity to establish the IRA and to request the purchase of mutual funds within the IRA. You are also certifying that you are of legal age in your state and that you believe each investment is suitable for you.
Power of attorney is the authority to act on behalf of another person. Authorization is used when you want to allow someone else to receive information about your account or transact business on your behalf.
TIAA offers three levels of inquiry.
Inquiry only
Allows the party you have authorized to receive specific information about your existing and future accounts via phone, online or download. They will have access to account balances, institutional plan rules on cash withdrawals and transfers, beneficiary designations and requesting forms.
Limited rights plus inquiry
Allows the party you have authorized to receive specific information about your existing and future accounts as mentioned above plus the ability to change allocations, make internal transfers or exchanges and cancel transfers or exchanges.
Full power of attorney/fiduciary rights
Allows the party you have authorized (known as Attorney in Fact) to take all actions with regard to your TIAA accounts. You may use the TIAA power of attorney formOpens dialog or the legal equivalent.
Any of the following can serve as verification of name change:
- Marriage license
- Divorce decree
- Adoption certificate
- Court order
A certified copy must be sent by mail. We can't accept a fax.
Please send the copy to:
TIAA
P.O. Box 1259
Charlotte, NC 28201
For retail class mutual fund accounts
Please send a letter of instruction stating the change, with your signature in both your former and new name and a medallion signature guarantee, which guarantees that the signature is genuine.
This will need to be guaranteed by a bank representative who can verify your signature with the one on file.
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