QUESTIONS?
For account information
or any questions:
Call 800 842-2776
Monday — Friday
8 a.m. — 10 p.m. (ET)
Saturday
9 a.m. — 6 p.m. (ET)
Or visit us online at
tiaa-cref.org 24 hours a day.
Have your user ID and
password ready.
HELPFUL HINT:
To complete this
process faster just go to
tiaa-cref.org. You’ll need
your user ID and password.
Note: You cannot designate
beneficiaries online if
you name an irrevocable
beneficiary.
DESIGNATING YOUR BENEFICIARIES
TA MB
F1387 (07/08)
WHEN DO I USE THIS FORM?
Use this form to tell us who you want to be the beneficiary of the balances in your TIAA-CREF
accounts. You can change your beneficiaries at any time by completing this form.
A beneficiary can be an individual, an institution, a trust, or your estate. (Naming an estate can
limit the options available to your heirs. Please call us before choosing this option.) Beneficiaries
can also be the children of the beneficiaries that you list on this form. You can choose primary
beneficiaries and contingent beneficiaries. Your primary beneficiaries receive benefits when you
die. If no primary beneficiary is living, the benefits become payable to your contingent beneficiaries.
If none of the beneficiaries are living at the time of your death, the benefits go to your estate.
YOUR CHECKLIST
Provide all the personal information requested and choose your beneficiaries.
Remember to sign and date this form in Section 4.
Complete the “Additional Requirements Based on Marital Status” section. If you are single,
complete section 5A; if you are married and have not designated your spouse as a primary
beneficiary of at least 50% of the benefit, or the percentage required by your plan, your
spouse must complete Section 5B in front of a notary public or your contributing employer’s
plan representative. NOTE: Under federal law, if you are under age 35, you cannot complete a
Spousal Waiver (Section 5B) unless your plan provides otherwise. Even if your plan does allow
you to complete a Spousal Waiver, you must complete another Spousal Waiver once you
reach age 35. We will notify you at that time.
If applicable, attach a signed and dated page to list special provisions for passing on benefits
to children of a deceased beneficiary. Label the provision “Payment to children of a deceased
beneficiary” and specify if it applies to a primary or contingent beneficiary.
If it applies to a primary beneficiary:
If your primary beneficiary is also deceased at your death, the benefits will instead be paid
to his or her children. Your contingent beneficiaries would receive benefits only if your
primary beneficiary and his or her children have also died.
If it applies to a contingent beneficiary:
If your primary beneficiary is not living at your death, benefits will be payable to your
contingent beneficiaries. If a contingent beneficiary of yours is also deceased at the time
of your death, this individual’s children would share those benefits equally.
Mail all pages of your completed form to: TIAA-CREF, P.O. Box 1259, Charlotte, NC 28201.
(Sorry, we can’t accept faxed forms.)
KEY INFORMATION TO CONSIDER
You can use this form to name beneficiaries for funds in TIAA-CREF retirement accounts.
These include: Group Retirement Annuities, Group Supplemental Retirement Annuities,
Individual Retirement Annuities, Keogh Annuities, Minimum Distribution Option, Qualified
Voluntary Employee Contribution (QVEC), Retirement Annuities, Retirement Choice,
Retirement Choice Plus, Savings and Investment Plan Annuities, Supplemental Retirement
Annuities, and Transfer Payout Annuities.
For all other types of contracts not listed here, call us at 800 842-2776 for the correct beneficiary
designation forms.
Print in upper case
using black or dark
blue ink and provide
all information requested.
1. PROVIDE PERSONAL INFORMATION
First Name Middle Initial
Last Name
Social Security Number Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)
Daytime Telephone Number Extension
2. ANNUITY CONTRACT NUMBERS (CHOOSE ONE)
A. This beneficiary designation applies to ALL the TIAA-CREF annuity contracts I currently have that are refer-
enced by contract type on the cover page of this form. (If you select this box, do not list any numbers below.)
OR
B. This beneficiary designation applies ONLY to my TIAA-CREF annuity contract and/or certificate numbers
indicated below.
(Please list your applicable TIAA and CREF numbers that correspond with the contract types listed
on the cover page of this form.)
TIAA Contract Numbers CREF Certificate Numbers
3. CHOOSE YOUR BENEFICIARIES
Tell us who should receive your account balance after your death.
PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES
1. First Name Middle Initial
Last Name
Social Security Number/Tax Identification Number Date of Birth
(mm/dd/yyyy)
Percentage Relationship Gender
FM
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
//
Check this box and attach a signed and dated page, to list additional primary and/or contingent
beneficiaries, a trust, or to provide additional instructions.
//
Page 1 of 3
DESIGNATING YOUR BENEFICIARIES
Check the first box if
you want the same
beneficiary designation(s)
for all your applicable
TIAA-CREF contracts.
Check the second box if
you want the beneficiary
designation applied to
specific contracts.
TA MB
F1387 (07/08)
A beneficiary can be an
individual, an institution,
a trust, or your estate.
Your primary beneficiaries
receive benefits after your
death. If no primary benefi-
ciary is living, the benefits
become payable to your
contingent beneficiaries.
If none of the beneficiaries
are living at the time of
your death, the benefits
go to your estate.
If you have more than
one primary beneficiary,
benefits will be divided
equally among the living
beneficiaries unless you
specify the percentage.
The percentages for all of
the primary beneficiaries
must total 100%. This
also applies to contingent
beneficiaries.
3. CHOOSE YOUR BENEFICIARIES (CONTINUED)
PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES
2. First Name Middle Initial
Last Name
Social Security Number/Tax Identification Number Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)
Percentage Relationship Gender
FM
CONTINGENT BENEFICIARIES
1. First Name Middle Initial
Last Name
Social Security Number/Tax Identification Number Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)
Percentage Relationship Gender
FM
2. First Name Middle Initial
Last Name
Social Security Number/Tax Identification Number Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)
Percentage Relationship Gender
FM
//
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Page 2 of 3
DESIGNATING YOUR BENEFICIARIES
TA MB
F1387 (07/08)
4. SIGN YOUR FORM
I, the undersigned, agree that:
All prior beneficiary designations and methods of payment requested for the annuities indicated on this
“Designating Beneficiaries” form will be revoked, and any benefits due by reason of my death will be payable
to the beneficiary(ies) named on this form.
• I understand that this form is subject to all of the terms and conditions of the annuities and as described
in the cover page provided with this form.
• I request that any provision that requires the annuities to be submitted for endorsement of this change be waived.
• I reserve the right to make further changes to my beneficiary designations. However, if I previously named an
irrevocable beneficiary for any benefits, I will need to obtain a consent or release from the beneficiary before
a change can be made.
• I understand that if I elect to have this designation apply to all my referenced annuities, it will apply ONLY to
those issued as of the date this form is accepted by TIAA-CREF.
• I understand that if any or all of my accumulation for which this designation applies is attributable to contri-
butions under a retirement or tax-deferred annuity plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act (ERISA) of 1974, as amended, and I have been credited with an hour of service or paid leave under the
plan after August 22, 1984 or as provided for by the terms of my non-ERISA-governed retirement plan, then
my right to exclude naming my spouse as a primary beneficiary for at least 50% of these death benefits (or
the required amount, if greater) is subject to my spouse’s consent.
Your Signature Date (mm/dd/yyyy)
5. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS BASED ON MARITAL STATUS
5A. IF YOU ARE SINGLE, COMPLETE THIS SECTION
Check the box if you are not married.
I am not married.
5B. IF YOU ARE MARRIED
This section does not need to be completed if you are single or you named your spouse as primary beneficiary
for at least 50% of the death benefit.
The date of your spouse’s signature must be the same or later than the date you sign section 4.
Consent by Spouse (Must Be Witnessed)
With this consent I am voluntarily and irrevocably giving up my right to a qualified preretirement survivor
death benefit. I recognize that any preretirement death benefit payable under these annuities or the mutual
funds will be paid to the beneficiaries as described in this form.
Signature of Spouse Date (mm/dd/yyyy)
Social Security Number Spouse’s Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)
Signature of Notary Public or Employer Plan Representative Date (mm/dd/yyyy)
//
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Page 3 of 3
DESIGNATING YOUR BENEFICIARIES
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F1387 (07/08)
Please provide your
signature and the date.
Your spouse has the right
to receive a survivor benefit
of a least 50% of your
account balance if your
employer’s retirement plan
is subject to the Employee
Retirement Income Security
Act (ERISA). If the plan is
not subject to ERISA, your
spouse is entitled to the
percentage specified by the
plan. Therefore, your spouse
must consent to give up,
or waive, this right if you
choose to name someone
else as the beneficiary
for more than 50% (or
the amount specified by
the plan) of your account
balance.