WASHINGTON – The Howard University Savings Plan, under the management of TIAA, has been awarded the 2020 Signature Award from The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), part of the American Retirement Association (ARA). PSCA is the leading association of defined contribution plan sponsors in the U.S. Howard University with TIAA received first place in the “Plan Changes – Large Company Category.”

“We are honored to receive this recognition by the Plan Sponsor Council of America which recognizes the strength and impact of the recent plan changes Howard University implemented to create a stronger package of financial options for our faculty, staff and retirees,” said Larry A. Callahan, Howard University’s Chief Human Resources Officer. “The partnership with TIAA has been extremely rewarding in terms of the knowledge they bring to the table and the educational resources available to our campus and retirement communities.”

PSCA’s Signature Awards recognize exemplary retirement plan education and communications. While education has long been an essential element in helping American workers save for retirement, those programs are even more critical today as participants consider their options in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Timothy A. Rodgers, Managing Director, TIAA Financial Services Institutional Relationships said, “It was an honor to partner with Howard University’s leadership to provide a multi-tiered campaign to educate plan participants on changes to Howard’s retirement program. Communication and coordination were instrumental to the success of the transition and Howard’s leadership supported the use of direct mail, email, on-campus and online seminars, and an ambitious one-on-one schedule with TIAA Financial Consultants to ensure that participants were fully informed and prepared. We appreciate Howard’s unique brand and culture and so we made sure all materials aligned with the needs of their audiences and clearly conveyed the technical aspects of the transition for participants to understand the changes and increase their confidence in retirement planning.”

A panel of 25 business leaders evaluated and selected the winners of the 2020 Signature Awards from 120 entries in eleven categories.

In January, Howard University convened an important event focused on enhancing the economic strength and financial wellness of African Americans. The event, sponsored by TIAA and AARP, brought together industry experts for a discussion on the financial challenges African Americans face and potential solutions to critical issues, including financial literacy, saving for retirement, managing debt and student loans, home ownership, and wealth inequality.

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu. 

About TIAA

With an award-winning¹track record for consistent investment performance, TIAA (TIAA.org) is the leading provider of financial services in the academic, research, medical, cultural and government fields. TIAA has $1.1 trillion in assets under management (as of 3/31/2020²) and offers a wide range of financial solutions, including investing, banking, advice and education, and retirement services.

About the Plan Sponsor Council of America

The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), part of the American Retirement Association (ARA), is a diverse, collaborative community of employee benefit plan sponsors, working together on behalf of millions of employees to solve real problems, create positive change, and expand on the success of the employer-sponsored retirement system. With members representing employers of all sizes, we offer a forum for comprehensive dialogue. By sharing our collective knowledge and experience as plan sponsors, PSCA also serves as a resource to policymakers, the media, and other stakeholders as part of our commitment to improving retirement security for millions of Americans. For more information, visit www.psca.org.

¹The Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards are based on the Lipper Leader for Consistent Return rating, which is a risk-adjusted performance measure calculated over 36, 60 and 120 months. Lipper Leaders fund ratings do not constitute and are not intended to constitute investment advice or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security of any entity in any jurisdiction. For more information, see lipperfundawards.com.  Lipper Fund Awards from Refinitiv, ©2020 Refinitiv. All rights reserved. Used under license.  The Award is based on a review of risk-adjusted performance of 39 companies for 2016, 36 for 2017, 35 for 2018 & 2019, and 30 for 2020. The award pertains only to the TIAA-CREF mutual funds in the mixed-asset category.  Without such waivers ratings could be lower. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current performance, rankings and prospectuses, please visit TIAA.org.

²Based on $1.1 trillion of assets under management across Nuveen affiliates and TIAA investment management teams as of 3/31/20.