What We Believe

What We Believe

We believe that choosing the right asset allocation is one of the most important decisions an investor can make. TIAA-CREF offers a wide range of investment options to help our clients build portfolios to meet their objectives. We continually reevaluate our holdings and reaffirm the rationale for each investment’s long-term value. And we always keep a careful eye on risk.

Our goal is to be smart stewards of the money our clients entrust to us. We work diligently to manage expenses on their behalf, because we believe that more of their money should stay in their portfolios, working for them. Our clients benefit from this approach every day: fees on TIAA-CREF variable annuity accounts and mutual funds are generally half the industry average.*

Ultimately, we believe in building a company that reflects the diverse interests of those we serve. TIAA-CREF is a strong advocate of shareholder rights, a leader in socially responsible investing, and has a long history of advocating for sound governing practices at companies in which we invest. We believe that over the long term, such practices help improve financial performance and reduce risk — which in turn contributes to the return we seek to provide on our clients’ investments and savings.