TIAA Life Insurance Review 2024

TIAA left the life insurance market in 2019, but the change didn’t affect existing policies.

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Written by Katia Iervasi
Assistant Assigning Editor
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Edited by Georgia Rose
Lead Writer
 
Fact Checked

TIAA sold life insurance for more than a century before wrapping up that part of its business at the end of 2019.

Headquartered in New York, the company continues to service its active policies, which include term, universal and variable universal life insurance. Policyholders can continue to manage their policies and related investments, and beneficiaries can still file a life insurance claim.

» MORE: Best life insurance companies

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Other financial products from TIAA

TIAA offers a range of investment, retirement and banking products, including:

» MORE: Compare life insurance quotes

More about TIAA

Founded in 1918 by Andrew Carnegie, the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, or TIAA, originally sold retirement plans and low-cost life insurance to professors. In 1952, the company launched the College Retirement Equities Fund, or CREF, which offered variable annuities as a way to help investors combat inflation. The combined organization was known as TIAA-CREF until the company eventually shortened its name to TIAA.

Learn about top-rated life insurance companies

Check out NerdWallet’s top picks across these categories:

Life insurance buying guide

Before you start comparing companies, choose the type of life insurance you want, such as term or whole life. Decide which life insurance riders, if any, you want the policy to include. Calculate how much life insurance you need and how long you want the coverage to last. Check that the insurers you’re considering offer the coverage you’re looking for.

When comparing rates, be sure the quotes are for the same amount of coverage over the same period of time. It’s also important to make sure the policy’s medical requirements match your needs. For example, if you want to skip the life insurance medical exam but don’t mind answering health questions, confirm that the application process for each policy you're comparing aligns with that.

Price may not be the biggest driver behind your decision to buy. Look at the number of consumer complaints each company receives, as high numbers can be a red flag about the quality of service.

For more guidance, see our life insurance buying guide.

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