TIAA-CREF Publishes Guide to 403 Regulations for Plan Sponsors

Business Wire, April 24, 2008

NEW YORK -- TIAA-CREF, the national financial services organization and leading provider of retirement services in the academic, medical and cultural fields, today introduced "403(b) Plan Fundamentals - Your Guide to Compliance," a comprehensive guide to regulatory requirements for 403(b) plans. The company announced the guide at its 2008 Client Forum in Kissimmee, Florida.

"'403(b) Plan Fundamentals' is the latest in a series of tools from TIAA-CREF to help clients comply with added obligations under the new 403(b) plan rules," said Nancy Heller, Senior Managing Director and Head of Institutional Relationships at TIAA-CREF. "TIAA-CREF is tapping years of 403(b) experience to offer substantive information to help clients navigate the details of plan operation and satisfy their evolving obligations."

Sections of the guide include:

* At a Glance - An overview of new rules, plan sponsors' responsibilities, and a checklist for compliance;

* The Details - In-depth information about plan documents, non-discrimination requirements, loans and distributions, information sharing agreements, plan documents, contribution limits, Form 5500 and ERISA, and fiduciary liability.

* Resources - Frequently Asked Questions, a glossary and reference materials.

TIAA-CREF serves more than 15,000 retirement plan sponsors in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields.

The guide is another tool TIAA-CREF has developed to help clients fully prepare for, and implement the new requirements. TIAA-CREF also provides customized webinars, client workshops led by specialized teams, monthly e-newsletters and a special section on its Administrator Web Center home page called "403(b) Outlook," where new articles on key issues are posted each week.

Plan administrators who wish to learn more about these resources are urged to contact their TIAA-CREF Managing Consultant directly, or the TIAA-CREF Administrator Telephone Center at 1-888-842-7782.

About TIAA-CREF

TIAA-CREF (www.tiaa-cref.org) is a national financial services organization and the leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields with $419 billion in combined assets under management (3/31/08).

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC and Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., members FINRA, distribute securities products.

Annuity products issued by TIAA (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association), New York, NY.

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