The end of the year is upon us, so we’ve got our mind on our money and our money on our minds.
While the stock market has had a bumpy ride this fall, past experience tells us the best practice for long term investments like retirement funds is to hang in there. Experts recommend avoiding the temptation of moving your money out of stock funds and thereby locking in your losses. We also suggest avoiding the temptation of checking your fund balance daily when the market is rocky.
However, if you do want to keep track of your Lehigh University Retirement Plan, we can recommend the TIAA app.
The Basics
The app is available for Apple and Android devices, and it is synced to your TIAA account, so you’ll log in with the same user name and password you use on the web. Be aware, though, that in order to keep your information safe, it will not keep you logged in. So, make sure you know your password.
<---- This is the only real image of the app we can share with you. For security purposes, the app doesn’t allow screenshots. So, we’ll have to get creative.
After you log in, you’ll be on the home screen of the app (artist's rendering at right). Here you’ll get a snapshot of all of your TIAA accounts, including the employer-funded account and your voluntary contributions. If you have other TIAA accounts from previous employers, those funds will also be included in this total. If you've worked in other TIAA affiliated institutions before, this is a really nice feature.
From the home screen you can navigate via the icons at the bottom. Choose “Accounts” to get a detailed breakdown of all of your funds and view historic information about your transactions.
To make changes to investments, choose the “Actions” icon. From there, you’ll get more options.
The “Profile” icon takes you to your personal information about your account. It also offers links to market research, ways to explore investments, market news, and your statements. This section is also where you can view any messages you may have received and upload files if required.
Our Take
The TIAA app is a must-have for anyone who likes having easy access to their Lehigh University Retirement Plan. You can do a lot directly in the app, including make changes to your investments. It’s easy to use, operates reliably, and was designed with your security in mind.
The TIAA app deserves a spot on your phone. It might even earn a spot on your homescreen.