How-To Guide · 2026
How to transfer money out of TIAA
Moving money out of TIAA is straightforward for most funds — and surprisingly slow for the Traditional Annuity. Knowing which you hold is the whole game.
Step 1: identify what you actually hold
Variable accounts (CREF), mutual funds and most non-Traditional holdings can usually be transferred or rolled over relatively quickly. The Traditional Annuity is the one with strings attached, and the strings depend on your contract type (RA, GRA, RC, RCP, SRA/GSRA).
Step 2: understand the Transfer Payout Annuity (TPA)
For restrictive Retirement Annuity (RA) contracts, Traditional balances generally can’t be taken as a lump sum. Instead they leave via a TPA — typically 10 annual installments over about nine years. Retirement Choice (RC) contracts often allow 84 monthly installments (about seven years). Some group contracts (GRA) may permit a lump sum within 120 days of leaving your employer, sometimes with a surrender charge.
Step 3: choose your destination
- Within your plan: move into other in-plan options (e.g., lower-cost index funds).
- To an IRA: a direct rollover keeps the tax-deferred status intact.
- To a new employer’s plan: if it accepts rollovers.
Step 4: start the paperwork early
Because a TPA can take years, savers who plan to exit Traditional often start the process well before they need the money, reinvesting each installment as it arrives.