Receive a TIAA retirement check for life
We believe a strong foundation to a more secure retirement starts with a guaranteed lifetime income
For over 100 years, our flagship fixed annuity product, TIAA Traditional—issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), New York, NY—has offered guaranteed lifetime income. It can help reduce risk while you save and give you the option for reliable retirement checks, no matter what.
How TIAA Traditional is different
Guaranteed growth
The money you put into TIAA Traditional grows every day,1 no matter what the market does.
Flexibility and control
You control whether, when, and how much of your savings turn into retirement checks for life. Plus, you can choose options that provide income to your loved ones, ensuring they’re taken care of too.
Bigger retirement paychecks
Because we share profits with you and not shareholders, you have the opportunity for higher amounts, including the TIAA Loyalty BonusSM.2,3
During your working years
Growth no matter the market ups and downs
Market volatility won't affect your balance
Saving with TIAA Traditional protects a portion of your money with guaranteed growth every day—even if markets are down. It diversifies your portfolio with a safe option that helps you manage the risk of your other investments now while laying the groundwork for retirement checks later.4
Your money keeps adding up
You'll watch your TIAA Traditional savings grow steadily over time with a minimum interest rate that's guaranteed. And because TIAA shares profits with you, not shareholders, you'll have the opportunity for more growth beyond the guaranteed rate.3
As your near retirement
Savings that can never decline
Your money is protected
Savings in TIAA Traditional can never lose value and will only continue to grow until you're ready to activate your retirement checks.1,5 Over time, you can increase the portion you contribute to TIAA Traditional to protect more of your savings as you get closer to retirement.
You'll get a competitive interest rate
Growth with TIAA Traditional also comes at a competitive rate. Compare our interest rates with other fixed income products to see how they stand apart. And because TIAA’s sharing-the-profits approach may provide additional interest above the guarantee, the comparison may look even better in retirement.3
In retirement
Retirement checks that last for the rest of your life
You decide whether and when to start your retirement checks6
When you’re ready to retire, you can activate your retirement checks using some or all your TIAA Traditional balance, which is a portion of your total retirement income. 6 This means you’ll have money coming in for the rest of your life from TIAA Traditional while still having income from other investments, which can continue to be invested with the potential to grow.1
Retirement checks have beaten the typical 4% withdrawal rate
Many retirees choose a 4% annual withdrawal strategy from their retirement assets to help avoid running out of money. With TIAA Traditional, retirement checks may often be double the 4% rate—and are guaranteed to last for life.6,7
The TIAA Loyalty BonusSM can mean even bigger checks8
One way TIAA shares profits is through the exclusive, only-from-us TIAA Loyalty BonusSM. No matter where you are in your savings journey, you may earn larger retirement checks based on how long you've saved in TIAA Traditional.
Build
You start earning your TIAA Loyalty BonusSM as soon as you begin saving in TIAA Traditional.
Maintain
The longer you hold and grow savings in TIAA Traditional, the more your TIAA Loyalty BonusSM increases.
Receive
Any TIAA Loyalty BonusSM is automatically added when you activate your retirement checks.
Your TIAA Loyalty BonusSM may be even higher if you make one or more transfers into TIAA Traditional earlier in your saving years.
Protection for loved ones can bring peace of mind
With TIAA Traditional, you can protect your loved ones with your retirement checks too. TIAA Traditional offers flexibility so you can personalize your retirement checks in the way that works best for you.
Choose retirement paychecks for:
- You
Payments for your lifetime (Single life annuity)
- You and Your Spouse or Partner
Payments for both lifetimes (Joint life annuity)
- Other Loved Ones
Payments that continue to beneficiaries. You can choose a guaranteed period of 10, 15, or 20 years to ensure your retirement checks continue to your beneficiaries should you pass away before the end of the period.*
*Selecting any 20-year guaranteed period options will almost always result in total payments greater than the amount originally converted to retirement paychecks.
Ready to build a more secure future together?
Schedule a meeting with a financial consultant to discuss TIAA Traditional and how it can play a role in your diversified income plan for retirement
1. All guarantees are based on TIAA’s claims-paying ability. TIAA Traditional is a guaranteed insurance contract and not an investment for federal securities law purposes. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
2. Retirement check refers to the annuity income received in retirement. Guarantees of fixed monthly payments are only associated with TIAA’s fixed annuities.
3. TIAA 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. TIAA Traditional Annuity interest and income benefits include guaranteed amounts plus additional amounts as may be established on an annual basis by the TIAA Board of Trustees. The additional amounts, when declared, remain in effect through the “declaration year,” which begins each March
4. Diversification is a technique to help reduce risk. There is no guarantee that diversification will protect against a loss.
5. Converting some or all of your savings to income benefits (referred to as “annuitization”) is a permanent decision. Once income benefit payments have begun, you’re unable to change to another option.
6. 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.
7. The 4% rule of thumb used in the chart assumes the first year’s payment is based on 4% of the same approximately $200,000 final balance used by the TIAA Traditional lifetime income recipients. Under the 4% rule-of-thumb approach, the employee would be responsible for adjusting the amount of their payments each year based on the rate of inflation. During the employee’s retired years, they can withdraw the remaining account balance at any time if it has not been exhausted or it could be left to a beneficiary upon death.
8. Retirement checks from TIAA Traditional may include a TIAA Loyalty BonusSM which is discretionary and determined annually.
9. 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.
Investment products may be subject to market and other risk factors. See the applicable product literature or visit TIAA.org for details.
Retirement check refers to the annuity income received in retirement. Guarantees of fixed monthly payments are only associated with TIAA's fixed annuities.
Investment decisions should be made based on the investor's own objectives and circumstances. Advice is obtained using an advice methodology from an independent third-party.
10. 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.
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