ProductsJune 8, 2010

TIAA-CREF Releases Spanish Web Site

TIAA-CREF has unveiled its Spanish-language initiative to increase U.S. Hispanics/Latinos’ access to retirement-planning information and tools, including a new Spanish-language Web site.

Reported by Fred Schneyer

The company said the new site is part of series of moves that include:

Bilingual consultants in TIAA-CREF’s National Contact Center to handle customer requests and an automated telephone system in Spanish for account access (800-842-2252, option 9 for Spanish),
Financial-education seminars for Spanish-speaking employees of higher education and health care institutions, and
Personalized one-on-one retirement-planning consultations with objective, non-commissioned advice in Spanish.

The company said the new Spanish-language Web site focuses on a retirement-planning relationship built on education, with emphasis on life stages such as “Starting Out,” “Mid-Career,” “Approaching Retirement,” and “In Retirement.” It also features a glossary of financial terms, answers to frequently asked questions about retirement, and examples of retirement-saving tips.

A press release said Hispanics/Latinos see the need for retirement preparation, but participate less in workplace retirement plans and invest less money in plans than do other groups. Some believe they can rely on family, Social Security, real estate investment, or savings accounts to see them through retirement.

The site is at tiaa-cref.org/espanol.