Employees can get advice, guidance from TIAA

On Iowa State's last two benefit surveys, employees identified assistance with financial and retirement planning as a service they'd like to see improved. The benefits team reminds employees help already is available through their retirement plan at no additional cost: personalized financial and retirement advice and guidance from TIAA.

Few claim confidence or expertise in knowing how to plan for retirement. In fact, it can be an intimidating topic and easy to avoid. The good news is ISU employees can talk with knowledgeable professionals at TIAA who can help build that confidence and strategies for their financial future -- and in a convenient setting they choose. Whatever stage they're at in their careers, all ISU employees can schedule a one-on-one meeting and ask for help:

• Go online at tiaa.org/schedulenow
• Call 800-842-2252 (weekdays 7 a.m.-9 p.m. CST)

Four options for getting help

In addition to a national service center, TIAA offers three kinds of one-on-one sessions with a financial consultant: On-demand phone or virtual, scheduled with an ISU-dedicated consultant (virtual or in person), and scheduled with a retirement income consultant (phone or virtual). All of these options are part of the ISU benefits plan with no additional fees for participants. 

"The addition of virtual options and continued dedicated support here in Ames of both the in-person and virtual options is critical to providing strong support for our employees," said Ed Holland, director of benefits. "We appreciate that TIAA expanded its offerings to meet our employees where they are in their financial planning journey."

Here's a bit more about each of the four:

1. National Contact Center: First point of connection

• 800-842-2252 (weekdays 7 a.m.-9 p.m. CST)

TIAA's National Contact Center serves as the front door to retirement plan support and account management. This service provides immediate assistance for questions, account updates, transaction support or even help determining which TIAA professional or tool would best address your specific needs.

2. On-demand, one-on-one meeting

Receive immediate access to a TIAA financial consultant, virtually or via phone, to have a conversation that's more in-depth than general support, including tailored retirement plan advice and guidance. Connect to these financial consultants through the same National Contact Center phone line, 800-842-2252 (weekdays 7 a.m.-9 p.m. CST)

3. Iowa State University-dedicated financial consultants: Virtual and in-person options

The TIAA team includes financial consultants who are dedicated to TIAA participants at Iowa State and provide a personalized approach that considers unique circumstances and goals. Examples of topics to discuss with them could be deciding how much to save from each paycheck, choosing an investment strategy that aligns with your risk tolerance, enrolling in voluntary retirement plans, or protecting a portion of retirement savings as the balance grows. Schedule an appointment with any of the four consultants online (tiaa.org/schedulenow) or by phone (800-842-2252 weekdays 7 a.m.-9 p.m. CST).

Two of the dedicated financial consultants provide virtual appointments.

• Rich Haupt began his career in 2000 and has been with TIAA since 2022. He holds his Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) series 6, 7, 26 and 63 licenses and life, health and variable annuity licenses. He earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Arizona State University, Tempe.
• Brett Hendricksen has been with TIAA since 2018. He holds his FINRA series 6, 7, 63 and 66 licenses life, health and variable annuity licenses. He earned a bachelor's degree in business from Northern Arizona University.

Two of the dedicated financial consultants work from the Ames Somerset office. Employees can meet with them in person or virtually.

• Senior financial consultant Jay Albrecht has been with TIAA since 2011. He holds his FINRA Series 6, 7 and 63 licenses and life, health and variable annuity licenses. He earned a bachelor's degree in music from Wartburg College, Waverly, and a master's degree in music from the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls.
• Noel Lagneaux was born in Ames and raised in Des Moines. He earned an economics degree from the University of Iowa and has been with TIAA since 2014. Lagneaux recently returned to Ames. He holds his FINRA series 6, 7, 63 and 66 licenses and his Certified Financial Planner designation.

4. Retirement income consultants for the transition to retirement 

As ISU employees approach retirement, these specialists help them navigate through the shift from accumulating retirement savings to reviewing their options for distributing retirement income, including Social Security and other income. After first meeting with a financial consultant, employees may schedule a meeting with a retirement income consultant by calling 888-380-6424 (weekdays 7 a.m.-6 p.m. CST).

Next week: The TIAA consultants summarize four career stages in planning for retirement and some of the financial considerations you might be juggling during each.