Financial risk tolerance is an important personal characteristic that is widely used by financial professionals to guide the development and presentation of client-centered recommendations. As more baby boomers enter retirement, research on how these individuals perceive their willingness to take financial risks has gained importance, particularly…

TIAA-CREF, the financial services company that manages retirement portfolios for professionals in academia and other select fields, avoided the heavy losses other financial firms incurred during last fall's financial meltdown. Thus far, the indicators reflect TIAA-CREF's prudent, disciplined investment strategies. From Sept. 30 to Dec. 31, 2008,…

The current economic crisis has naturally reached into one's pocket and made many people anxious about their own finances. As consumers ride out these treacherous times, where can they go to find advice on managing and paying down their debt, protecting their investments, incomes, and retirement plans, and applying for mortgages in a tight credit…

Information about tax-sheltered annuity plans and a questionnaire to assist in the evaluation of companies that provide a fixed annuity. (Author/MLF)

Complexities in managing TIAA-CREF contracts are reviewed. Attention is directed toward participation, period considerations, selection of retirement age, retirement income transition, estate considerations and beneficiaries, voluntary additional contributions, and supplemental retirement annuity contracts. (LBH)

This booklet is part of a series of monographs focusing on conflicts of interest in different sectors of the financial industry. This particular study examines a number of conflict-of-interest problems related to the management of public pension funds. In his discussion, the author analyzes a variety of related problems, such as the selection of…

Figures are offered on the expense charges and cashability feature of the supplemental retirement annuities (SRA's) of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) retirement program. (LBH)

This article serves as an introduction to a symposium on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and its labor law considerations. Commentary is offered on reporting and disclosure, fiduciary responsibilities, vesting, funding, and miscellaneous provisions. (LBH)

This booklet is designed to guide readers through the different stages of retirement planning, starting with goal setting. It is suitable for personal use by adults or for classroom use in junior high through adult consumer education classes. The booklet explains how to determine one's current financial status as well as how to estimate retirement…

Today's increasingly complex financial services market offers consumers a vast array of products, services, and providers to choose from to meet their financial needs. While this degree of choice provides consumers with a great number of options, it also requires that they be equipped with the information, knowledge, and skills to evaluate their…