Very weak and inexperienced management team. - Anonymous employee TIAA Employee Review

2.0
Sep 27, 2010
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company has great ratings and a tremendous reputation and legacy. TIAA-CREF truly places the client first and strives to keep expenses low - although unsuccessful in the last few years.

Cons

The C-Suite is very weak and with little outside experience. They are siloed and as a result there is a great distance in communication between the top and the rank and file. The organization is heavily matrixed, adding great redundancy in communication and difficulty in moving projects and ideas forward. Aside from the insurance business, all of the non-pension businesses are money losers. And the insurance CEO left our of frustration.

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5.0
Jun 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great opportunities for growth and supporting management

Cons

There is nothing to love about TIAA!

2.0
Jul 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good starting salary and benefits package.

Cons

The longer you’re there, the more of an expectation that you work more for the same or less income. Producers find it hard to justify staying when leadership keeps moving the goal posts on how to increase income. No rhyme or reason as to how they decide “promotions.” One advisor might have one good year and get promoted over an advisor that produces year in and year out. They fail to share revenue because they’d have a hard time justifying the income level compared to outside advisors with a fraction of the book size. They claim and depend on brand recognition to justify a capped income but fail, or just won’t admit that is why they keep losing their top talent. Operations is a nightmare that I can’t even begin to describe. When I share the processes that have been in place for over a decade, colleagues in the industry shake their head and laugh. They can’t believe we earn and keep business. The saying while I was there was “the biggest threat we face is that TIAA clients start to explore their options outside of TIAA.”

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