Complaints

This profile includes complaints for TIAA's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  TIAA

  730 3rd Ave New York, NY 10017-3206

• 

  TIAA

  P.O. Box 1259 Charlotte, NC 28201

• 

  TIAA-CREF Oversight Complaint Compliance

  1670 Broadway, Suite 2200 Denver, CO 80202

• 

  Teachers Insurance Annuity Association

  370 17th Street Denver, CO 80202

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/19/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  i started a new job in february 2022, i have been trying to roll over my funds from Fidelity to TIAA. I sent in the necessary transfer forms, i waited a few weeks and never heard from them, i called a month later and they could not find my transfer forms. They sent a new set of forms, thankfully i made copies of the originals, i submitted the forms again, i called a few weeks later, i was told they have my forms, i should mail them the checks to transfer my funds, i sent the checks and called back to confirm. they stated they never received the checks and they never received my transfer forms. i sent a third set of forms and ordered a replacement check. i sent the forms certified in august, ive called 3 times since then and ive been told they cant find the forms, then when i mention i want to transfer funds, they miraculously find the forms, i called again today, after first they couldnt find it, then after mentioning a transfer of funds, they found the forms, they told me the signature was "suspicious" i need to resubmit the forms again and send the check. Ive been trying to submit my transfer funds since february, this is ridiculous, ive been getting the run around, someone needs to check this company, how many times do you have send in forms. I am without the benefit of my retirement funds.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/28/2022

  This correspondence is in response to the communication received on October 19 from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) on behalf of **********************The communication indicated ************** experienced unsatisfactory customer service while seeking to transfer assets from Fidelity to TIAA.
  
  After researching our records, I spoke with ************** and confirmed the checks from Fidelity were received on August 22 and credited to her TIAA retirement account. However, because stop payments were completed by Fidelity, the contributions to her account were reversed on August 24. Prior to August 22, we informed ************** the checks were not received by TIAA, which prompted her to request the payments be stopped by Fidelity.
  
  We regret the customer service ************** received from our consultants was not the level of service TIAA expects. The forms received on August 21 are in good order and no further documentation is required. ************* has been informed she needs to submit the reissued checks from Fidelity to TIAA for crediting to her retirement account.

  If you have questions related to this inquiry, please contact me at *********************************** or ************.
  

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  Senior Customer Resolution Manager

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We have an elderly client, who is a retired hospital researcher, with over $1 million dollars invested with TIAA . After the death of her husband, she sought our guidance with investing and asked us to consolidate her TIAA accounts from several research universities. We had no issue rolling over her late-husbands funds and her funds that were not in 403(b) accounts or TIAAs Guaranteed funds. However, the issue we are running into is that the current funds left with TIAA are in 403(b) accounts. On my last call with the client to TIAA we were made aware that if we start the 10-year, 10% distributions for the remaining accounts, all funds will be locked and unable to be used for RMDs. This is a big problem. TIAA is essentially forcing the client to lock in the 10% withdrawal each year and take it over 10-years. This is an issue because she will be subject to the *** 50% penalty on all RMDs from her 403(b) assets.Sorry for all the finance jargon. I am happy to get on a call to articulate the issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2022

  Re: Better Business Bureau (BBB) Complaint ID ********
        TIAA SR ************************* *********************:
  
  I am responding to **************** October 11 complaint filed with the BBB and received at TIAA on October 12.
  
  ************ wrote that he works with a mutual client and that TIAA is essentially forcing this client to take periodic distributions which may prevent her from taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).
  
  Since ************ did not identify our client, we are unable to fully address this matter. However, in general, TIAA offers myriad options so that our clients can satisfy RMDs and meet their income needs.
  
  Further, I encourage ************ and our client to speak with a licensed TIAA Financial Consultant to discuss our clients individual planning needs and account distribution options.
  
  For account service needs, please contact us at ************. Consultants are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (ET).Additional TIAA information can be found on our website at TIAA.org.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************************;
  Senior Customer Resolution Manager
  Operations and Customer Services
  ********************
  
  **** ******************************************************
  ********** ** *****
  ****** ************ 
  **** ************
  ************
  
  TIAA-CREF Individual & ************* Services, LLC,Member FINRA and SIPC, distributes securities. ******** services by Advice & ******** Services, a division of TIAA-CREF Individual & ************* Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/04/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I reached out TIAA to withdrawal from my hardship for my daughter's tuition for college. First TIAA said I needed to submit my daughter's birth certificate and a tuition amount to them. then when I called again to make sure I got everything for them to submit, they said no birth certificate needed to submit a tax form stating my daughter's a dependent and submit an invoice to them including tuition what is owed. I submitted it then they tell I was denied because it says 0 bal. it does not say 0 bal. it clearly states 0 was awarded to my daughter I have to pay out of pocket the tuition.TIAA needs to retrain their employees and make them understand what they are reading.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/10/2022

  This correspondence is in response to the communication received on October 4 from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) on behalf of ***********************. The communication indicated **************** experienced unsatisfactory customer service while seeking a hardship withdrawal.
  
  After researching our records, I attempted to speak with **************** on October 6 and left a phone message. As part of our research,the recorded calls from September 26 to September 30 were reviewed.
  
  Based on the information communicated to **************** by our phone consultants, her ability to obtain a hardship withdrawal was not adversely affected. While there was an initial misunderstanding over the type of documents to send to TIAA for tuition reimbursement, ultimately **************** did not receive a hardship withdrawal because the documentation submitted indicated no tuition was due for the current or upcoming semester for her daughter.
  
  If you have questions related to this inquiry, please contact me directly at *********************************** or ************. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/21/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  TIAA CREF owns my apartment building ****** in **************. I have been waiting to get my sink repaired for almost 3 years. The enamel is cracking and I have been asking to get it fixed since I moved in and TIAA CREF has owned the building the entire time. I would like a refund of $18544 which is 2 months per year as I have not lived in a "luxury" apartment. I think this is a fair settlement as I have been messaging the various management companies to fix this since I moved to this unit. This is not the only issue I have encountered. I also had a massive leak in my apartment and they fixed it while I was living here. They did not put up any tarps or sheets, so there was wet drywall all over my apartment and I was breathing it in. There was no HVAC or washer and dryer for 1 month. I never received any compensation for that either. My washer and dryer destroy many items of mine and it took months to replace them when they did it was no longer a full-size washer and dryer. I have had credit cards stolen out of the mail and used. I have had thousands of dollars in packages stolen over the year but most recently around $1300 in items stolen from the package room. There have been homeless people sleeping near my car in the gated parking garage when we were supposed to have night security.I would like the sink fixed, a refund, and a new full-size washer and dryer. I have attached the most current email correspondence with ******* and ********* and an image of the sink that I have been living with that my guests say looks like a "bomb" went off in it. This building used to be so nice, but the amount of neglect TIAA CREF has given has allowed most of it to fall apart.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/06/2022

  
  Good afternoon,

  
  Please let this serve as our response to the mentioned complaint. 

  **************************** sink has remained operable and functional. We have resurfaced the sink on two occasions and the peeling of the enamel has unfortunately continued. Although this cosmetic issue is not ideal, the sink is still in working condition and we are in the process of sourcing a replacement for this for a full resolution.

  Because replacements are timely, we did offer to relocate the resident to a comparable home at the same rate and pay for moving expenses, however the resident denied this offer.

  
  The leak mentioned by ************************ took place with a prior management company. All issues from the leak have since been repaired to original condition. 

  The washer and dryer mentioned has been replaced with a new washer and dryer unit as requested by the resident.
  
  The mentioned missing packages took place during prior management and we have communicated with ************************ that she will need to file a claim with her renter's insurance for reimbursement.

  
  

  Thank you,

  
  ******************
  
  ******** *******
  ******
  
  ********************
  
  ***** ***********
  
  *************** ** *****
  
  *
  
  *******  *****************
  
  **********************
  
  *
  
  
  
  *** ****************** ***** ***
  
  ************** ** ******* ***
  
  ********************
  
  ******************

  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  *** *********** ********* ** **** ***** ********** *** ************ ** ************* *** ** ******* ** ***** ** ***** ************ ********* *** ******* ********* *********
  *** ** ******** *** *** ** *** ***** ************ *****
  
  ****** ** ** *** ** **** ***** ** *** *********** ** ****** **** ** ******** ********** *** *** ** ********* ** *** *** *** *** ******** ************* *** *** *** **** *********
  **** ** ********** **** ***** ** *** *********** *** *** **** ********* *** **** ** **** ** **** *** ****** ** ******** ** *** ** *** **** ******** **** ***** ** ****** ****** ******
  *** ****** *********** ** ********* ** ***** *** ****** *** *** *** ****** ******** ********* *** ************ **** **** ******* *** *************** ** ********* ** *** ******
  ** **** ******* **** ***** *** **** **** ** *** ** ********
  
  ******** ** **** ***** ********** *********** ** ****** *** **** ** ************ ******** ******** ** ****** ** ********* *** *** **** ** ****** ****** ** **** ***** ** ***
  *********** *** ** ******** ************* ************* ********** ** ********** *******
  
  ****** *** *** ******* ** **** *** ******* ****** * **********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/11/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  The response was not from the business I filed a complaint with. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,

  
  *****************************
  
  
  
  
   

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/09/2022

  Dear ************************,

  
  Thank you for sharing your concerns. TIAA is providing this response to supplement the response provided by the property manager, ******* & ********** Based on our review, outlined below, we conclude that a refund of a portion of your prior rent is not warranted.  In September, you were offered the opportunity to relocate to a comparable unit at the same rent. This offer remains open, if you are interested.

  
  In regard to the sink, efforts to resurface it have not resolved the cosmetic issue of the peeling enamel. ******************* is seeking to source a replacement. Unfortunately, this process has been delayed by supply chain issues.

  
  As previously noted, all issues resulting from the leak have been repaired to original condition, and the washer and dryer have been replaced with a new unit.

  
  With respect to any missing mail or packages, we suggest you consider seeking reimbursement from your insurer.  Additionally, we confirm that the parking area has 24-hour security. 

  
  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns,and we ask you to raise any *************** to property management. Thank you. 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  Hello,
  
   
  
  My complaint was not resolved. What are the next steps? I would like to speak to TIAA who owns the building. I am still seeking a refund. My sink has not been fixed. 
  
   
  
  Regards,
  **** 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************