Financial Advisors seem to be on every corner these days. Its important to find one that is good, reputable and that you enjoy working with. I think you will find that at TIAA-CREF in Buffalo. In addition to having the UB employees pension funds to manage they take private clients and the like. My experience over many years with them has been quite positive. They have a clear and solid annual review process if that's what you like. If you want to meet with them more often and make changes to your portfolio you can. They have a good client interactive website as well. All in all, if you are looking for financial advisors, you should put them on your list to consider. Easy parking in a nice office park just off Maple. read more

Future Allocations feature of their 403b web page triggers a message that entire portfolio is being rebalanced (Sept. 2018). Then in October 2018 the Future Allocations feature says that two choices, 50% each, exceeds 100%. In fact, choosing even just a single fund for 100% of incoming funds triggers a message that says that 100% exceeds 100%. If they can't get a computer to add one or two whole numbers that sum to 100, I question their basic competence. And don't even try to call them - nice people on the phone but their phone reps seemingly have no capability to get anything fixed, and they can be slow on the uptake, so it may take a half hour to an hour to finally get an answer that they can't fix anything. Very disappointing! read more

I decided to set up a TIAA bank account after a good experience having a brokerage and retirement account with TIAA. As an attorney and professor, I deal with numerous clients who are doctors and professors who also have TIAA accounts. I have recommended TIAA to clients in the past. Not anymore. First, the online system that i used to setup the account hit my credit report 8 times in a row (I was not applying for credit - just a bank account). It then put me on some kind of bank account blacklist until I am able to get the matter cleared up. The account was setup anyway and I figured it was a one time TIAA goof. I called today to get papers to add my significant other to my account. I could not remember my verbal passcode so the rep sent a code to my cell phone which I read off to her so that she could get into my account. She then proceeded to chastise me like an irresponsible child for not remembering my passcode. She told me to write it down and keep it in a safe because they will not talk with me without that code. So, if I am at the grocery store and have an issue with my account that TIAA creates, they are telling me that I will have to go home, get into the safe, and read them the number? Literally every other bank has alternate procedures. This one does not? I mentioned to the representative that I did not appreciate being spoken to like that and she said, "I'm sorry you feel that way." I asked for a supervisor who never came on the phone. When someone from TIAA customer service called me back, I mentioned that it might be a wise idea to change the script because it is not good customer service to try and make customers feel bad. She said, "I'm sorry you feel that way." That passive aggressive sentence musts be front and center in TIAA's book of things customer service can say, put there by some awkward pencil neck with no social grace who is stuck in the 1990s. Today was a fine day - I made one simple call to TIAA to get one simple thing done and the result is total aggravation. No one needs that. read more