A good way to start is by listing all your financial goals and categorizing them by duration—the amount of time you'll have before the money is needed. Most people recognize three basic categories of duration: short-term (1-3 years), intermediate (3-10 years), and long-term (over 10 years). To encourage people to save for long-term goals like retirement, the government allows significant tax benefits in certain products.

On the opposite page are some common goals matched with potential products and plans you might use. For a brief description of TIAA-CREF products, see "TIAA-CREF Products for Your Goals".

		PRIORITIZING TIP:
		Don't make the mistake of thinking that because goals like retirement and education funding are "long-term," you can get to them later. The reality is that these goals tend to require much of your resources to meet them, so you need to begin saving for them now, if you haven't already.

As you prioritize your goals, pick one or two (out of perhaps several) that are most important to you right now. These are the goals you want to approach aggressively. Maybe you want to concentrate on retirement and education if you have children. If you're single, retirement may be your most important goal. If your Cash Flow Analysis indicates that you have enough money to tackle several goals at once, you should still prioritize by considering your contribution amount for each goal, i.e., which gets the largest contribution, the second-largest contribution, and so on.

For Retirement and Long-Term Goals:

TIAA-CREF offers a variety of saving programs that might help you reach your goals Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans 403(b) and 457(b) Tax-Deferred Retirement Plans Keoghs After-Tax Annuities Mutual Funds Traditional and Roth IRAs

For Education Savings:

529 College Savings Plans Coverdell Education Savings Accounts EE Savings Bonds Traditional and Roth IRAs Mutual Funds

For Short- and Intermediate-Term Goals:

Mutual Funds

And, Depending on Your Age:

Traditional and Roth IRAs 403(b) and 457(b) Tax-Deferred Retirement Plans After-Tax Annuities

For Asset Protection and Preservation

Life Insurance