TIAA Reviews 

Last year I had to begin withdrawing money due to my age. If I had not figured this out, I would've had to pay a penalty to the IRS. That nonchalant attitude is not at all acceptable when you're dealing with people's money. Customer service is totally lacking. There are lawsuits and that's understandable.

Wealth advisor frequently out of the office; his assistant lacks screens (views) needed. Phone coverage is nearly always an answering device which may or may not return a message on the same day. Information needed to guide future investments is either in an unknown online category or has to be specifically requested. There is a perceptible lack of knowledge among the representatives/assistants who used to be well trained. They successfully handled a variety of transactions during the first phone call. Leaving messages and sorting through an ever changing online menu were not necessary. Overall, the present system is slow to respond and not customer friendly a high percentage of the time.

I was told to not invest $5K on the basis that I may need it for an emergency. How about investing it in a liquid account to withdraw when such an event occurs? I believe the advice I was given was short-sighted. It begs the question if other TIAA small time investors are so advised?

This company is super competent when you are building your retirement and they receive your contributions. But the first time you attempt to set up withdrawals they become
utterly incompetent. It is a disgrace.

For a month I have been making weekly calls to TIAA about a withdrawal I'm trying from my retirement funds. Each week I speak to a different associate who tells me the same thing: My request needs further processing, and my money will be delivered in five-seven business days. Twice I've been told they tried to make the transaction, but it was rejected by TIAA's internal system. I've been putting money into TIAA since 1990, and it's like the Seinfeld bit on renting a car--they know how to take the money in, they don't know how to send it out. It's funnier on TV...

I am deeply dissatisfied with the customer service I have received this time around at TIAA. I wanted to roll over the funds in my Kansas Boatd of Regents account to a traditional TIAA IRA. It took almost two weeks because various members of my team were often unable to help me with the problematic Planwithease process required by the Regents. They often gave inadequate and/or contradicting advice. Also, no one adequately explained the IRA. When the process was finally over, I discovered that my TIAA IRA was basically a savings account that stayed the same and wasn't invested as my Kansas Board of regents account was. Had I known that, I would have stayed with my Board of Regents account and continued to put up with the difficult Planwithease. When I called today, I was given a third number to call to get an appointment to fix the problem. However, the first appointment I can get is June 12! Until then, my account won't make any money and the money in it is invested in nothing. Everyone was pleasant, but each person changed advice during the rollover. I have a TIAA annuity which I can't change, but I am considering withdrawing the money from the TIAA IRA and using a different company altogether. I have had bad advice off and on throughout my many years with TIAA. That fact is disappointing.

I have been trying to transfer my account for 1 month. The funds have been sitting with them for 1 month without any communication except for when I call. I have been on the phone with them multiple times, and they have been unable to tell me what is wrong. When I provided an updated address for them to mail the check to the new account, because they do not do electronic transfers in 2026, the agent I spoke to did not update and send the funds, and another 2 weeks went by without movement. I still do not have my funds. There have been no apologies or acknowledgement of errors. This has been incredibly frustrating, and I will not be investing with them again. I recommend avoiding TIAA.

Tried to setup an annuity. Eveytime we call we get a different story and more needed paperwork that was not disclosed on the prior call. Every call results in at least an hour of your time as you are constantly put on hold. I would not recommend them.

If you have money with TIAA, get it out, and run like your hair is on fire! The worst customer service, a failing company, difficult at best website and phone system. I have been trying for 2 months to get MY MONEY transferred to a company my job now works with. They keep telling me. I do not have permission to move MY MONEY! The other agency has contacted TIAA and explained the process and my employer has called and explained the process and still they are holding onto MY MONEY! Get away from the ASAP! I may end up contacting a Attorney to get WHAT BELONGS TO ME! The customer service would be better if my grandson was on the other end. They are RUDE, ENTITLED and act like the money (MY MONEY ) is there's. They horrible communication skills.

I attempted to do rollover from Fidelity to TIAA. 3 months later I still get the run around talking to incompetent TIAA staff and listening to shopping music for a long time just to get the wrong information once again. Then they will mail you another wrong form by mail so I'm not sure what the portal is for. I lost many hours on the phone completing form after form w/ no real solution to a simple task such as rollover. So much agitation. They don't even have a manager to reach to discuss solutions so no accountability.

One star is very generous! Over six hours on the phone with, at least,different representatives- each and everyone gave me different information about the same topic! Misinformed personnel is really a problem with TIAA. I’m glad I’m closing my account because no one knows what they’re doing, I’m sorry to say. Even waiting to speak to a supervisor today – I was disconnected three different times.

I transferred money from my brokerage IRA account to my after-tax brokerage account, both within TIAA using their online portal as part of my IRS RMD. I have not received a 1099-R. I've been on the phone hours over 3 weeks trying to get this form. They admit it should have been generated, but can't seem to get it done. Still waiting for a solution. Expecting another callback. Taxes due in 5 days.

Without this form, withdrawals from an IRA account are moved to regular accounts with IRS notification, effectively TAX FREE. Unfortunately, I need it reported for my RMD.

We retired with close to a million in TIAA Traditional and decided to take the money out. You're forced to use a 10 year distribution scheme, which is OK- we knew that was the agreement. But in the first two years we had serious tax penalties because of IRS complications - related to distribution and tax payment timing issues. The whole process to fix the problem took about 5 months.

With the help of our financial advisor we found a solution and went to my TIAA consultant to implement it. Skipping the details, after about 20 email back and forth it became obvious that my emails were never read by the consultant and or their technical assistant. My email would state the actions we discussed and ask my questions. Their response essentially regurgitated my summary in different words but did not get to answering my questions, or addressing the solutions I was suggesting and asking about. It became very obvious that the emails I had meticulously written were never read with any care by the TIAA consultant or any intelligent person at TIAA.

My advice is never use email or the phone with TIAA. Make all communications in person face to face. An expensive way to do business for either side, but that's the reality of the world with "AI" .

Also their website is full of extraneous garbage, hiding the account facts one is looking for. It is abominable.

I pity any conscientious and intelligent employee who has to work within this system.

Avoid TIAA - their customer service is the worst I've seen from any company. My mom passed and as executor, I needed the 1099-R tax form. I called several times from Mar 17 till Apr 8. Each time calling, I was faced with their automated voice system that is really terrible - super hard to get through. And after getting though the automated system a coupe times I was rerouted by the human back to their automated system without guidance on how to get through it to speak to the right area. Eventually, I spoke with the right area and they asked me to upload documents. I uploaded all necessary docs and they were ignored, event after a follow up call 10 days later where they said they had all that was needed. Took more calls to get through to get 1099-R form.

I’ve been with TIAA for more than 40 years, having been employed on a full-time basis at two universities that used the organization to provide retirement services. (I retired in Jan 2026).

I completed and uploaded four documents as directed. I was told that monthly payments are made on the first of the month. Sun Mar 01 arrived and I did not receive a payment. Nor did I receive a payment on Mon Mar 02. That morning, I called TIAA. I was told that monthly payments are made on the first business day and that I “should” get the deposit later that day. In speaking with TIAA on more than a handful of occasions, I had been told that payments are made on the first day of the month, not the first business day of the month.

Tue Mar 03 arrived and I did not receive a payment. I called TIAA and was told that the first monthly payment is usually delayed and I “should” get the deposit later that day. In speaking with TIAA on more than a handful of occasions, I had never been told that the first payment would be delayed.

Wed Mar 04 arrived and I did not receive a payment. I called TIAA and was told that I was sent an email with a payment confirmation. I checked my inbox and did find that email. While on the phone, I asked the woman if I could speak with a supervisor. She took a message and said that I’d get a call back within one to two business days.

On Fri Mar 13, I sent a brief message to TIAA on Facebook and Thasunda Brown Duckett (CEO) on Linkedin about my experience. That evening, I received a call from a supervisor. He defended the staff, noting something about the training that the people who answer the phones go through. I disagreed, stating that these were very basic questions that I was asking such as when to expect my monthly payment in which I was given three different answers (i.e., first day of the month; first business day of the month; and the first payment is a little delayed).

From outward appearances, TIAA looks to be highly reputable, supposedly managing nearly 1.5 TRILLION DOLLARS of assets. But check under the hood and you’ll get a different picture. In terms of customer service, my experience with TIAA has been totally unacceptable and unprofessional.

Note: I have a much longer version of my experience with TIAA but it's length isn't allowable here.

I have been trying to start withdrawing money from my traditional TIAA retirement account for months. I have spoken on phone with 6-8 different customer service reps. Each of them has been polite but has not been able to complete the task despite promise of getting it done. I have gotten spousal consent notarized 3 times ($75) and each time they either cannot find it or the form was wrong which was actually filled by the customer service rep. It has become super frustrating. Each time I get a new person who tells me that it was not done right previously. I insisted on speaking with a supervisor who called me back after two days but just passed it on to another rep

Would rate a zero if possible.

I could write dozens of pages on why they are so terrible but they have already wasted so many hours of my life with their incompetence that I will only say to anyone looking: DO NOT USE unless you hate yourself and do not value your time, energy, or money.

They failed to issue the Required Minimum Distribution for 2025 and it will cost me nearly $2,000 due to IRS penalties. I had set it up in 2024 for a recurring annual withdrawal but the idiots erroneously put it in as a one-time withdrawal in 2024 and as a result, nothing was withdrawn in 2025. I just discovered it today. I suspect the state will also penalize us. But they apologized "for any inconvenience." The rep said "their computer was confused."

I received the TIAA BS response to my complaint—painting the problem I reported as ours. As always TIAA tells only part of the story. What part of we will wait and decide and the part you left out where I told TIAA consultant Charles that I would not sign a new form lead TIAA to conclude we wanted NO funds from the UPS account? You should have sent the same UPS funds monthly as TIAA received NO confirmation of cancelation. But as always TIAA takes it upon themselves to make decisions and cancelled our UPS monthly withdrawal and then demand a new form because TIAA had taken upon themselves to cancel the existing withdrawal. Let’s not kid anyone, TIAA then forced us to get new spousal form because TIAA decided to cancel the monthly withdrawal without OUR authorization. TIAA is a non-customer oriented company that will do or say anything to protect themselves. They are so stupid they can not even remeber my husband has a Dr in front of his name. I am so sorry that many Universities have been sucked into their worthless service.

We've changed our on line account to have tax forms mailed as we don't have a printer. They said they mail -2-2026. And again 2-7 2026. It's 2-27 and still nothing in the mail. I wish I could move our retirement account somewhere else.

TIAA CREF website was down all day today - not able to move my retirement assets allocation, probably lost some money. Spoke to them in the morning, promised to fix "an issue in a couple of hours" - they never did.