F1387 (11/06)
Page 2 of 3
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SPOUSE’S RIGHTS
If you’re married and since August 23, 1984 you have participated in retirement plans or tax-deferred
annuity plans subject to federal pension law (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974),
your spouse may have certain rights to funds in those plans. Federal
pension law provides your spouse, as a primary beneficiary,
the right to receive at least 50% of your qualified preretirement
survivor annuity death benefits.
Retirement or tax-deferred annuity plans not subject to federal pen-
sion law may have plan provisions that entitle your spouse, as a pri-
mary beneficiary, to a death benefit of up to 100% of your retire-
ment funds. If your designation does not satisfy your institution’s
policy, we will notify you when we review your designation request.
If you name someone other than your spouse as a primary benefici-
ary for more than 50% of the benefits (or more than the amount
required under plan provisions), your spouse must consent
to this primary beneficiary designation by completing the spouse’s
waiver. If this is not completed, then 50% (or the amount stated
in the plan provisions) of those qualified preretirement survivor
annuity death benefits to which your spouse is entitled, will be
payable to your spouse regardless of your beneficiary designation
in effect at the time of your death. The remainder of the death
benefit, if any, will be payable to your other named beneficiaries.
THE SPOUSAL WAIVER
If you are married and want more than 50% of your death benefit
(or the required amount as stated by plan provisions) to go to
someone other than your spouse, you must meet one of the exceptions listed above, or your spouse
must authorize your beneficiary designations by signing a waiver.
The spouse’s waiver section must be signed by your spouse, and the signing must be either
notarized by a Notary Public or verified by your plan representative. Also the date your spouse
signs must be on or after the date you sign the beneficiary designations. An e-signature is not
acceptable for a spouse’s waiver.
If you are under age 35, you cannot complete a spouse’s waiver under federal law unless your plan
allows you to. Please note: If your plan allows you to complete a waiver, you also must complete
another spouse’s waiver once you attain age 35. (We will notify you at that time.)
Exceptions to spousal rights to
survivor benefits requirements
You are not subject to the spousal
benefits rules, and may designate
whomever you wish as beneficiary,
if:
You are not married;
You are legally separated with a
court order to that effect;
Your participation was in plans not
subject to federal pension law, or
in plans with no spousal rights
provisions;
or
The funds to which this designation
applies are attributable to self-
remitted, after-tax contributions,
or solely to contributions made
under a retirement plan or
tax-deferred annuity plan prior to
August 23, 1984.
DESIGNATING BENEFICIARIES
FOR YOUR TIAA-CREF ACCOUNTS