Registration No. 333-

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 23, 2016

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

Form S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

New York

6311

13-3917848

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company

730 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10017-3206

(212) 490-9000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)


Nathaniel Kunkle, Esq.		Ken Reitz, Esq.
TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company		TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company
8500 Andrew Carnegie Boulevard, SSC-C2-08		8500 Andrew Carnegie Boulevard, SSC-C2-08
Charlotte, NC 28262-8500		Charlotte, NC 28262-8500
(704) 988-0371		(704) 988-4455

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. [X]

Pursuant to Rule 429 under the Securities Act of 1933, this prospectus contained herein also relates to Registration Statement No. 333- .

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer [ ]

Accelerated filer [X]

Non-accelerated filer [ ]

Smaller reporting company [ ]

(Do not check if a smaller

reporting company)

No new securities are being registered pursuant to this registration statement on Form S-1. All amounts of unsold securities under the prospectuses contained in the prior registration statements on Form S-1 (File No. 333-187638 initially filed on March 29, 2013 and File No. 333-149714 initially filed on July 23, 2008 by TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company) (a total of $128,790,757 of securities) are carried forward to this registration statement.

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

PROSPECTUS

May 1, 2016 TIAA-CREF INVESTMENT HORIZON ANNUITY

Individual Flexible Premium Modified Guaranteed Annuity Contract

Issued by TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (“TIAA-CREF Life”) and offered through TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC (“Services”).

This prospectus describes information you should know before investing in the TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity, an individual flexible premium modified guaranteed annuity contract (the “Contract”) issued by TIAA-CREF Life. Before you invest, please read this prospectus carefully and keep it for future reference. Some of the terms and phrases that we use in this prospectus have a particular meaning, and, in the “Definitions” section of this prospectus, we define them so you will know how we are using those terms and phrases.

The Contract is designed for individual investors who desire to accumulate funds on a tax-deferred basis for retirement or other long-term investment purposes and to receive future payment of those funds as lifetime income or through other payment options. Whether the Contract is available to you is subject to approval by regulatory authorities in your state. You may purchase the Contract only as a Non-Qualified Contract. We do not currently offer Qualified Contracts, which are Contracts intended to qualify for special Federal income tax treatment under the IRC Section 408 or 408A

To purchase a Contract, you must allocate your initial Premium among one or more Fixed Term Deposit options (each an “FTD”), each of which will grow at a specified guaranteed rate of interest for the stated period. The minimum allocation to an FTD is $5,000. We reserve the right to increase the minimum allocation to an FTD in the future. We currently offer ten FTDs, ranging from one year to ten years in duration. We will make the determination as to the interest rates we will declare for each FTD. We cannot predict nor do we guarantee what future interest rates we will declare, but your Contract will have minimum guaranteed interest rates that we will determine when we issue the Contract to you.

Purchasing this Contract involves certain risks. If you surrender your Contract more than 30 days before the end of an FTD’s term, make a withdrawal more than 30 days before the end of an FTD’s term, or apply your Contract Accumulation to an Income Option more than one year before the end of an FTD’s term, we generally will apply a Market Value Adjustment (“MVA”) to the amount being surrendered, withdrawn, or applied to an Income Option. The MVA may be either positive or negative. Accordingly, the amount that you receive could either increase or decrease and you could lose a substantial portion of the Premium(s) you originally invested. You should carefully consider your income needs before purchasing a Contract. State laws and regulations may differ as to when we apply the MVA. If you were a New York resident at the time you purchased your Contract, we will not assess an MVA if you apply your Contract Accumulation to an Income Option, even if you do so more than one year before the end of an FTD’s term.

Also, when you surrender your Contract or take withdrawals from an FTD, federal income tax is based on the entire gain in your Contract, not just the gain for that FTD. Withdrawals before age 59 ¹/₂ may also incur a 10% IRS tax penalty on earnings. You should carefully discuss your personal tax situation with your qualified tax advisers before you purchase a Contract.

Additional information about these risks appears under “The Contract”—“Charges,” under “Fixed Term Deposit (“FTD”)”—“Market Value Adjustment,” and under “Federal Income Taxes.”

We offer the Contract through Services, which is the principal underwriter. Services is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of Contracts. There are no arrangements to place funds in an escrow, trust, or similar account. This will be a continuous offering.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

An investment in the Contract is not a deposit or obligation of, or guaranteed by, any bank or financial institution, and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or any other government agency. It is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of investment principal.

LOGO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents


DEFINITIONS			1

SUMMARY			3

WHAT IS THE TIAA-CREF INVESTMENT HORIZON ANNUITY?			3

WHAT FEES AND EXPENSES MAY BE DEDUCTED FROM MY CONTRACT?			3

WHEN DOES A MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT APPLY?			4

HOW DO I PURCHASE A CONTRACT?			4

CAN I CANCEL MY CONTRACT?			4

CAN I MAKE CASH WITHDRAWALS FROM THE CONTRACT?			4

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS AT THE END OF AN FTD’S TERM?			4

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR RECEIVING ANNUITY PAYMENTS UNDER THE CONTRACT?			5

SUMMARY OF CONTRACT ALLOCATION OPTIONS			5

WHAT DEATH BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT?			5

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY AND TIAA			5

THE CONTRACT			6

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT			6

THE GENERAL ACCOUNT			6

PURCHASING A CONTRACT AND REMITTING PREMIUMS			7

SHORT TERM HOLDING ACCOUNT (“STHA”)			8

FIXED TERM DEPOSIT (“FTD”)			9

CHARGES			15

RECEIVING ANNUITY PAYMENTS			16

WHEN ANNUITY PAYMENTS BEGIN			16

ANNUITY PAYMENTS			17


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INCOME OPTIONS			17

DEATH BENEFITS			18

AVAILABILITY AND CHOOSING BENEFICIARIES			18

SPECIAL OPTION FOR SPOUSES			18

AMOUNT OF DEATH BENEFIT			18

METHODS OF PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS			19

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES			19

TAXATION OF ANNUITIES			19

WITHHOLDING			21

POSSIBLE CHARGE FOR TIAA-CREF LIFE’S TAXES			22

OTHER TAX ISSUES			22

TAX ADVICE			23

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY			23

GENERAL MATTERS			33

TELEPHONE AND INTERNET			33

CONTACTING TIAA-CREF LIFE			33

ELECTRONIC PROSPECTUSES			34

DELAYS IN PAYMENTS			34

HOUSEHOLDING			34

SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS			34

ERRORS OR OMISSIONS			34

LOANS			34

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS			34

ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACTS			34

PAYMENT TO AN ESTATE, GUARDIAN, TRUSTEE, ETC.			35

BENEFITS BASED ON INCORRECT INFORMATION			35


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		ii


PROOF OF SURVIVAL			35

PROTECTION AGAINST CLAIMS OF CREDITORS			35

PROCEDURES FOR ELECTIONS AND CHANGE			35

REPORTS			35

RELIANCE ON EXEMPTION FROM 1934 ACT REPORTING			35

OTHER INFORMATION			36

DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTRACTS			36

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS			36

EXPERTS			36

LEGAL MATTERS			37

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS			37

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS			59

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION			62

TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS			70

INDEX TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY			73

TEACHERS INSURANCE AND ANNUITY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA			73

This prospectus outlines the terms of the TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity issued by TIAA-CREF Life. It does not constitute an offering in any jurisdiction where such an offering cannot lawfully be made. No dealer, salesman, or anyone else is authorized to give any information or to make any representation about this offering other than what is contained in this prospectus. If anyone does so, you should not rely on it.


		iii		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

DEFINITIONS

Throughout the prospectus, “TIAA-CREF Life,” “we,” and “our” refer to TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company. “You” and “your” mean any Contractowner or any prospective Contractowner. The terms and phrases below are defined so you will know precisely how we are using them. To understand some definitions, you may have to refer to other terms that we have defined.

Administrative Office. The office you must contact to exercise any of your rights under the Contract. Unless otherwise specified in this prospectus, you should send your completed application and your initial Premium to: New Business Dept., TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 1291, Charlotte, NC, 28201-9908; Telephone: 877-694-0305; you should send all subsequent Premiums and any other requests to: TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity, P.O. Box 933898, Atlanta, GA 31193-3898.

Annuitant. The natural person whose life is used in determining the annuity payments to be received. The Annuitant may be the Contractowner or another person.

Annuity Starting Date. The date on which you begin to receive income benefits under an Income Option.

Beneficiary. Any person or institution named to receive benefits if you die when you have Contract Accumulation remaining or while any annuity income or death benefit payments remain due.

Business Day. Any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. A Business Day ends at 4:00 pm Eastern Time, or an earlier time if we so notify you or when trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange, if earlier.

Calendar Day. Any day of the year. Non-Business Day Calendar Days end at 4:00 pm Eastern Time, or an earlier time if we so notify you.

Contract. The individual flexible premium modified guaranteed annuity contract described in this prospectus.

Contract Accumulation. The sum of your Fixed Term Deposit accumulations, plus the sum of your Short Term Holding Account accumulations.

Contractowner. The person (or persons) who controls all the rights and benefits under a Contract. If there are two Contractowners, one must be designated as the primary Contractowner on the completed application, and the joint Contractowner must be the spouse of the primary Contractowner.

Fixed Term Deposit (“FTD”). One of the options available for allocation of your Premium(s) or Contract Accumulation under the Contract. Each FTD option varies in length (from one year to ten years) and guarantees a specified rate of interest for the specified term.

FTD Value. The portion of the Contract Accumulation allocated to an FTD.

General Account. All of our assets and liabilities other than those allocated to any segregated TIAA-CREF Life Separate Account. The Short Term Holding Account and Contract Accumulations in FTDs are part of our General Account.

Income Option. Any of the ways you can receive annuity income.

IRC. The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

IRS. The Internal Revenue Service.

Market Value Adjustment (“MVA”). An adjustment that either increases or decreases the amount we will pay you if you surrender your Contract more than 30 days before the end of an FTD’s term, make a withdrawal more than 30 days before the end of an FTD’s term, apply the Contract Accumulation to an Income Option more than one year before the end of the FTD’s term, subject to certain exceptions.

Non-Qualified Contract. A Contract issued in connection with a retirement arrangement other than a Qualified Contract.

Premium. Any amount you invest (i.e., pay) into the Contract.

Qualified Contract. A Contract that is intended to qualify for special Federal income tax treatment under the IRC Section 408 or 408A We do not currently offer Qualified Contracts.

Second Annuitant. The natural person whose life is used together with the life of the Annuitant in determining the annuity payments to be received under an Income Option under a two-life annuity option. Under a two-life annuity option, the primary Annuitant’s life and the life of the Second Annuitant are used in determining the annuity payments. Under a two-life annuity option, the Second Annuitant will receive annuity payments if the primary Annuitant dies.

Short Term Holding Account. An account that is part of our General Account and that will contain all Contract Accumulation of your Contract that has not been allocated to an available FTD.


		1		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

Survivor Income Option. An option that continues lifetime annuity payments as long as either the Annuitant or the Second Annuitant is alive.

TC Life. TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company. TC Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TIAA.

TIAA. Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		2

SUMMARY

You should read this summary together with the detailed information you will find in the rest of the prospectus.

WHAT IS THE TIAA-CREF INVESTMENT HORIZON ANNUITY?

The TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity is an individual flexible premium modified guaranteed annuity contract that allows you to accumulate funds on a tax-deferred basis for retirement or other long-term investment purposes and to receive future payment of those funds as lifetime income or through other payment options. You generally are not taxed on any earnings or appreciation on the assets in the Contract until money is taken out of the Contract.

Currently, Premiums can be allocated to any of ten FTDs which can be chosen by you. Each FTD guarantees a specified rate of interest.

The Contract is available to you provided that it has been approved by the insurance department of your state of residence.

WHAT FEES AND EXPENSES MAY BE DEDUCTED FROM MY CONTRACT?

There are certain fees and expenses that may be deducted from your Contract.

•

Premium taxes—We may deduct premium taxes from your Contract Accumulation when it is applied to an Income Option or, or from Premiums or Contract Accumulation when allocated to an FTD account. State premium taxes currently range from 1.0% to 3.5% of non-qualified Premium payments and are determined by state insurance laws.

•

Annual maintenance fee—When you have Contract Accumulation remaining in the Contract, we will deduct an annual maintenance fee of $25 from your Contract Accumulation (if your Contract Accumulation is less than $25,000) on each anniversary and upon surrender of your Contract.

•

Charge when systematic interest withdrawals are paid by check—We may impose a fee of up to $5 per payment for systematic interest withdrawals paid by check.

•

Surrender charge—We will not assess a surrender charge upon cancellation of your Contract during the “free look” period. In addition, a surrender charge does not apply to surrenders or withdrawals from FTDs or the Short-Term Holding Account, to Contract Accumulation applied to an Income Option, or to death benefit payments. Contracts issued to Connecticut residents use the term “Disintermediation Risk Charge” as opposed to “Surrender Charge.”

•

Market value adjustment—we will generally apply an MVA on: any surrender taken from an FTD more than 30 days before the end of its term; any withdrawal taken from an FTD more than 30 days before the end of its term; Contract Accumulation applied to an Income Option more than one year prior to the maturity of the FTD’s term. We will not apply an MVA upon cancellation of the Contract during the “free look” period, on systematic interest withdrawals, upon surrender or withdrawal from an FTD within the last 30 days of an FTD’s term, upon application of the Contract Accumulation to an Income Option during the last year of an FTD’s term, or upon payment of the death benefit. We also will not apply an MVA to that portion of an FTD withdrawal taken to satisfy an IRC minimum distribution requirement. An MVA may be positive or negative, which means an MVA may increase or decrease the amount you receive as a surrender, withdrawal, or annuity payment.

For more details, see “Fixed Term Deposit (“FTD”)”—“Market Value Adjustment.”


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WHEN DOES A MARKET VALUE ADJUSTMENT APPLY?

We will generally apply an MVA on: any surrender taken from an FTD more than 30 days before the end of its term; any withdrawal taken from an FTD more than 30 days before the end of its term; Contract Accumulation applied to an Income Option more than one year prior to the maturity of the FTD’s term. We will not apply an MVA to that portion of an FTD withdrawal taken to satisfy an IRC minimum distribution requirement. An MVA may be positive or negative, which means an MVA may increase or decrease the amount you receive as a surrender, withdrawal, or annuity payment. Accordingly, you could lose a substantial portion of the Premium(s) you originally invested. You should carefully consider your income needs before purchasing a Contract. There are certain circumstances where we will not apply an MVA. State laws and regulations may differ as to when we apply the MVA. If you were a New York resident at the time you purchased your Contract, we will not assess an MVA if you apply your Contract Accumulation to an Income Option, even if you do so more than one year before the end of an FTD’s term. See “Fixed Term Deposit (“FTD”)”—“Market Value Adjustment.”

HOW DO I PURCHASE A CONTRACT?

To purchase a Contract, you must complete an application and make an initial Premium of at least $5,000 for FTDs. We reserve the right to lower the premium amount to $100. Additional Premiums must be at least $5,000 for FTDs and will be allocated to a new FTD. For details, see “The Contract”—“Purchasing a Contract and Remitting Premiums.”

CAN I CANCEL MY CONTRACT?

You can examine the Contract and return it to us for a full refund of all Premiums paid to the FTDs until the end of the “free look” period specified in your Contract (which is a minimum of 30 days, but varies by state). We will consider the Contract returned on the date it is postmarked and properly addressed with postage pre- paid or, if it is not postmarked, on the day we receive it at our Administrative Office. We will send you the refund after we get written notice of cancellation and the returned Contract. We will not deduct a surrender charge or apply an MVA if you cancel the Contract during the “free look” period. For details, see “The Contract”—“Purchasing a Contract and Remitting Premiums.”

CAN I MAKE CASH WITHDRAWALS FROM THE CONTRACT?

You may surrender your Contract or take cash withdrawals from an FTD at any time that you have Contract Accumulation remaining. All cash withdrawals must be for at least $1,000 from an FTD, unless the withdrawal would reduce the FTD Value below $5,000, in which case you must withdraw the entire FTD Value. We may limit cash withdrawals from your Contract to one per calendar quarter. If you invest in an FTD, a systematic interest withdrawal program is also available at Contract application. For details, see “The Contract”—“Cash Withdrawals.” Surrenders and withdrawals made more than 30 days before the end of an FTD’s term will be subject to an MVA, except that we will not apply an MVA to that portion of an FTD withdrawal taken to satisfy an IRC minimum distribution requirement. See “Fixed Term Deposit (“FTD”)”— “Market Value Adjustment.”

Cash withdrawals may be taxed. You may have to pay an IRS tax penalty on earnings if you take a cash withdrawal before age 59 ¹/₂.

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS AT THE END OF AN FTD’S TERM?

When an FTD nears maturity at the end of the specified term, you have several options. You may receive all or part of your ending FTD Value without a surrender charge or MVA; you may apply all or part of your ending FTD Value to one or more new FTDs that are available to you at that time; or you may do nothing and allow a new FTD to automatically begin. See “Fixed Term Deposit (FTD)”—“Maturity of a Fixed Term Deposit.”


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		4

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR RECEIVING ANNUITY PAYMENTS UNDER THE CONTRACT?

Guaranteed fixed annuity payments are available under the Contract and are payable from our General Account. The Contract offers a variety of Income Options, including: One-Life Annuities, which pay income as long as the Annuitant lives or until the end of a specified guaranteed period, whichever is longer; Fixed-Period Annuities, which pay income for a period of between two and 30 years for a non-qualified Contract and between five and 30 years for a tax-qualified Contract; and Two-Life Annuities, which pay income as long as the Annuitant lives (or both Annuitants are alive), then continues at either the same or a reduced level for the life of the surviving Annuitant or until the end of a specified guaranteed period, whichever is greater. The Fixed-Period Annuities Income Option is not available if you were a New York resident at the time you purchased your Contract. For details, see “The Contract”—“Receiving Annuity Payments.”

SUMMARY OF CONTRACT ALLOCATION OPTIONS


	PURPOSE	BENEFIT	DRAWBACKS
Short- Term Holding Account (STHA)	Temporary guaranteed interest account until value is reallocated to a FTD. This is a default account when contract value cannot be allocated to a FTD; you cannot allocate to this account.	– Up to 45 day flexibility to reallocate assets in this account as you like to any FTD or withdraw value without a Contract charge. – After 45 days, we automatically reallocate to the shortest available FTD.	– You cannot leave value in the STHA longer than 45 days. – If we reallocate automatically, you cannot reallocate again until the shortest FTD matures. – Generally, pays lower interest rate than FTDs.
FTD	Provide guaranteed interest rate for terms of 1-10 years, with longer terms usually providing the highest interest rate.	– Lock in a guaranteed rate for the FTD term. – Multiple FTD term options to diversify your interest credit risk.	– FTD account value is less liquid than STHA value. Early withdrawals are subject to a market value adjustment.
Income Options	Provide several other annuity income options.	– Locks in annuity income in the payout option you choose. – Payments are taxed as annuity payments.	– No liquidity. Payments must be made as scheduled.

WHAT DEATH BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE UNDER THE CONTRACT?

For FTDs, if any Contractowner or Annuitant dies when there is Contract Accumulation remaining, the death benefit will become available to the death benefit payees. The amount of the death benefit is the Contract Accumulation on the first death benefit payable date.

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY AND TIAA

The Contracts are issued by TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company, a stock life insurance company organized under the laws of the State of New York on November 20, 1996. All of the stock of TIAA-CREF Life is held by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA). TIAA-CREF Life’s headquarters are at 730 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017-3206. TIAA-CREF Life is solely responsible for its contractual obligations.

TIAA is a stock life insurance company, organized under the laws of the State of New York. It was founded on March 4, 1918, by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. TIAA is the companion organization of the College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), the first company in the United States to issue a


		5		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

variable annuity. CREF is a nonprofit membership corporation established in the State of New York in 1952. Together, TIAA and CREF, serving approximately 5 million people and approximately 16,000 institutions as of December 31, 2015, form the principal retirement system for the nation’s education and research communities and form one of the largest retirement systems in the U.S., based on assets under management. CREF does not stand behind TIAA’s guarantees and TIAA does not guarantee CREF products.

THE CONTRACT

The Contract is an individual flexible premium modified guaranteed annuity that accepts after-tax dollars for Non-Qualified and pre-tax dollars for Qualified Contracts. The material rights, obligations, and benefits of the Contract are described in this prospectus. We offer the Contract in all 50 states and the District of Columbia except Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington. Contract terms and features may differ due to state laws and regulations. These differences may include, among other things, free look rights, application and calculation of the MVA availability of certain Income Options, and calculation of the surrender charge. You should review your Contract along with this prospectus to understand the product features and charges under your Contract.

You may purchase the Contract only as a Non-Qualified Contract. We do not currently offer Qualified Contracts.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT

To help the U.S. government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions, including us, to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.

What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, residential address, date of birth, Social Security number, and other information that will allow us to identify you, such as your home telephone number. Until you provide us with the information that we need, we may not be able to issue a Contract to you or effect any transactions for you.

If we are unable to verify your identity, or that of another person authorized to act on your behalf, or if we believe that we have identified potentially criminal activity, we reserve the right to take such action as we deem appropriate, which may include canceling your Contract.

THE GENERAL ACCOUNT

All Contract value, including Contract value in the Short Term Holding Account or Fixed Term Deposits (“FTDs”) is part of our General Account. We own the assets in the General Account, and we use these assets to support our insurance and annuity obligations. These assets are subject to our general liabilities from business operations. Subject to applicable law, we have sole discretion over investment of the General Account’s assets. Amounts invested in the Contract do not share in the investment performance of our General Account. Our General Account bears the full investment risk for all Contract obligations. Amounts payable under the Contract are payable from our General Account and are subject to our financial strength and claims-paying ability.

The Contract provides minimum guaranteed interest rates. We anticipate also crediting and changing, from time to time and at our sole discretion, excess current interest rates to be credited under the FTDs and the Short Term Holding Account. You assume the risk that interest credited under the Contract may not exceed minimum guaranteed amounts.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		6

PURCHASING A CONTRACT AND REMITTING PREMIUMS

Minimum Initial Premiums. We will issue you a Contract as soon as we receive in good order at our Administrative Office your complete and accurate application, Premium and all other information necessary to process your application. (See “The Contract”—“Purchasing a Contract and Remitting Premiums”—“Good Order.”) Your initial Premium will be allocated to the FTD(s) you select within two Business Days of the Business Day on which it is received by us in good order. Initial Premiums must be for at least $5,000 per FTD.

For your initial Premium, please send your check, payable to TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company, along with your completed application to:

New Business Dept.

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company

P.O. Box 1291

Charlotte, NC 28201-9908

Note that we cannot accept money orders, traveler’s checks, or cash. In addition, we will not accept a third- party check where the relationship of the payor to the Contractowner cannot be identified from the face of the check.

Right to Cancel. You can examine the Contract and return it to us for a full refund of all Premiums paid to the FTDs (less systematic interest withdrawals) until the end of the “free look” period specified in your Contract (which is a minimum of 30 days, but varies by state). We will consider the Contract returned on the date it is postmarked and properly addressed with postage pre-paid or, if it is not postmarked, on the day we receive it at our Administrative Office. We will send you the refund after we get written notice of cancellation and the returned Contract. We will not deduct a surrender charge or apply an MVA if you cancel the Contract during the “free look” period. During the “free look” period, you may not make a withdrawal under your Contract.

Good Order. We cannot process your requests for transactions relating to the Contract until we have received them in good order at our Administrative Office. “Good order” means the actual receipt of the transaction request in writing, along with all information and supporting legal documentation necessary to effect the transaction. This information and documentation generally includes your completed application, the Contract number, the transaction amount (in dollars), the FTD selected, the signatures of all Contractowners, exactly as registered on the Contract, if necessary, and any other information or supporting documentation that we may require. With respect to purchase requests, “good order” also generally includes receipt of sufficient funds by us to effect the purchase. We may, in our sole discretion, determine whether any particular transaction request is in good order, and we reserve the right to change or waive any good order requirements at any time.

Additional Premiums. Subsequent Premiums must be for at least $5,000 per FTD and will be allocated to a new FTD. Subsequent Premiums of $25,000 or more may be allocated to a new FTD. We reserve the right to limit Premiums to no more than $500,000 a year. For additional Premiums, please send your check, payable to TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company, including your Contract number and FTD allocation choice, to:

TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity

P.O. Box 933898

Atlanta, GA 31193-3898

We will allocate each subsequent Premium to a new FTD, based on your instructions, as of the Business Day we receive it in good order. Currently, we will accept Premiums at any time both the Contractowner and the Annuitant is living and there is remaining Contract Accumulation. We reserve the right to not accept additional Premiums under this Contract after you have been given three months’ notice.

If we exercise our right to reject and/or place limitations on the acceptance and/or allocation of additional Premiums, you may be unable to, or limited in your ability to, increase your Contract Accumulation through additional Premiums. Before you purchase the Contract and determine the amount of your initial Premium, you should consider the fact that we may suspend, reject or limit additional Premiums at some point in the future. You should consult with your registered representative before purchase.


		7		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

Electronic Payment. You may make initial or additional Premium payments by electronic payment. A federal wire transfer is usually received on a “same” day basis and an Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) transfer is usually received by the second day after transmission. Be aware that your bank may charge you a fee to wire funds, although ACH transfers are usually less expensive than a federal wire. This is what you need to do:

(1)

If you are sending in an initial Premium, send your completed application to us at our Administrative Office;

(2)

Instruct your bank to wire or transfer money to:

Wells Fargo

ABA Number 121000248

San Francisco, CA

Account of: TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company

Account Number: 2000035305820

(3)

Specify on the wire or transfer:

•

Your name, address and Social Security Number(s) or Taxpayer Identification Number(s)

•

Indicate if the Premium is for a new application or for an existing Contract (provide Contract number and FTD allocation choice, if existing)

Certain Restrictions. You may only open one Contract in any calendar year. Also, your Contract may not contain more than 120 FTDs at any one time.

If mandated under applicable law, including federal laws designed to counter terrorism and prevent money laundering, we may be required to reject a Premium payment. We may also be required to block a Contractowner’s account and refuse to pay any request for surrenders, withdrawals, or death benefits, until instructions are received from the appropriate regulator. We may also be required to provide additional information about you and your Contract to government regulators.

We may deduct any charges for premium taxes from your initial or subsequent Premium before we allocate it under the Contract. (See “The Contract”—“Charges”—“Premium Taxes.”)

More About Remitting Premiums. We will not be deemed to have received any Premiums sent to the addresses designated in this prospectus for remitting Premiums until the third party service that administers the receipt of mail through those addresses has processed the payment on our behalf.

SHORT TERM HOLDING ACCOUNT (“STHA”)

The Short Term Holding Account (“STHA”) is a part of our General Account. You cannot elect to allocate Contract value to the STHA. Premiums are generally allocated to FTDs. However, premiums paid less than one year before your scheduled Annuity Starting Date may only be allocated to the STHA. When a FTD matures, proceeds from that FTD are placed in the STHA unless you have already reallocated such proceeds to another FTD or there are no new FTDs available to you at that time. If FTDs become available to you while you have a Contract Accumulation in the Short-Term Holding Account, we will mail you a notice after which you will have at least 15 days, but not more than 45 days, to allocate your Short Term Holding Account accumulation among the available FTDs. If we do not receive valid instructions from you in that time frame, your entire Contract Accumulation in the Short Term Holding Account will be applied to a new FTD with the shortest term then available.

Contract Accumulations in the STHA earn interest credited at a rate guaranteed to never be less than the minimum guaranteed interest rate stated in your Contract, which will never be less than 1%. We cannot predict nor do we guarantee what future interest rates we will declare.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		8

FIXED TERM DEPOSIT (“FTD”)

Fixed Terms. An FTD is an investment option for a period of years during which we will credit a specified interest rate. Currently, you can choose from FTDs of one year to ten years (whole years only). If the crediting rate for an FTD is lower than your Contract’s minimum guaranteed interest rate, that FTD will be temporarily unavailable. Only FTDs ending before the calendar month in which the Annuitant or any Contractowner turns age 90 will be available to you. We reserve the right to stop offering any FTD at any time. If you allocate any part of a Premium to an unavailable FTD, we will not consider your allocation instructions to be in good order and will not process your allocation instructions.

Crediting Interest. Each FTD to which you allocate any portion of a Premium or your Contract Accumulation earns interest at the specified interest rate in effect for that FTD from the date the Premium or Contract Accumulation is credited to the FTD through the end of the term of the FTD, or until the FTD Value is surrendered, if earlier. We will credit interest to each FTD on a daily basis. We will also credit interest on a daily basis on any amounts held in the Short Term Holding Account at an interest rate determined by us, but not less than your Contract’s minimum guaranteed interest rate. Credited interest rates for each FTD will vary by term and purchase date.

We have no specific formula for setting the interest rates. Rates will be influenced by, but not necessarily coincide with, interest rates available on fixed income investments that we may acquire with the amounts we receive as Premiums. You have no direct or indirect interest in the investments we make with the Premiums. We will invest these amounts primarily in investment-grade fixed income securities. We will also consider other factors in determining the interest rates, including regulatory and tax requirements, administrative and sales expenses incurred by us, general economic trends, and competitive factors. Interest rates will not vary by purchase amount. We will make the determination as to the interest rate we will declare for each FTD. FTDs earn interest credited at a rate guaranteed to never be less than the minimum guaranteed interest rate stated in your Contract, which will never be less than 1%. We cannot predict nor do we guarantee what future interest rates we will declare.

Allocations to an FTD are subject to several crediting risks. When an FTD period ends, you may not be able to reinvest FTD proceeds at as favorable an interest rate. This risk is greater for shorter FTD periods. Similarly, allocations in an FTD are locked into that FTD’s interest rate for the term of the FTD, even when interest rates on comparable products may be increasing. This risk is greater for longer FTD periods. Generally, although not always, longer FTD periods will credit higher interest rates.

Maturity of a Fixed Term Deposit. An FTD matures at the end of the specified term, and the proceeds then become available to the Contractowner(s). Prior to the end of an FTD’s term, you may select from the following options:

(1)

Receive all or part of your ending FTD Value without a surrender charge or MVA;

(2)

Instruct us to apply all or part of your ending FTD Value to one or more new FTDs that you select from the FTDs that we are then offering and are available to you; or

(3)

Apply all or part of your ending FTD Value to an Income Option

(4)

Do nothing and allow a new FTD to automatically begin.

If any FTD matures after a notice of death is received but before the death benefit is paid, the Contract Accumulation in that FTD will be transferred to the Short Term Holding Account.

We will mail you a notice at least 45 days, but not more than 75 days, prior to maturity of each FTD. Prior to maturity, you must instruct us to either apply the proceeds to one or more new FTDs then available or transfer the proceeds out of the Contract. Only FTDs ending before the calendar month in which the Annuitant or any Contract owner turns age 90 will be available. At least $5,000 must be allocated to any subsequent FTD. If no FTDs are then available, you may apply the proceeds to the Short Term Holding Account.


		9		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

If we have not received valid instructions from you before maturity, the proceeds will be applied to a new FTD with the shortest term then available. If no FTDs are then available, the proceeds will be applied to the Short Term Holding Account.

Surrenders at the end of an FTD

To surrender your ending Contract Accumulation in an FTD, you must request the surrender in writing prior to the end of the expiring FTD. Surrenders and withdrawals made more than 30 days before the end of an FTD’s term will generally be subject to an MVA. (See “Fixed Term Deposit (“FTD”)”—“Market Value Adjustment.”) Any surrendered or withdrawn amount may be subject to income taxes, and a 10% IRS tax penalty on earnings may apply if you are not yet 59 ¹/₂ years old. (See “Federal Income Taxes.”)

Automatic subsequent FTDs

Unless you instruct otherwise, the Contract Accumulation at the end of an expiring FTD will be allocated to a subsequent FTD. The subsequent FTD will be the shortest duration FTD that we currently offer. The new FTD will earn interest at the interest rate in effect for that subsequent FTD when your Contract Accumulation is allocated to it. If the shortest duration FTD extends beyond the calendar month in which the Annuitant or any Contractowner turns age 90, then we will allocate the Contract Accumulation to the Short Term Holding Account.

Cash Withdrawals. At any time that there is Contract Accumulation, you can withdraw some or all of your Contract Accumulation from the FTD(s) and/or from any amounts you have in the Short Term Holding Account. A full withdrawal of your Contract Accumulation is called a surrender. Cash withdrawals must be for at least $1,000, unless the withdrawal would reduce the FTD Value below $5,000, in which case you must withdraw the entire FTD Value. We may also impose the following restrictions:

•

Withdrawals from your Contract can be limited to no more than one per calendar quarter.

•

We may change the cut-off time establishing when a transaction request must be received in order to be effective at the end of that Business Day.

All withdrawal requests must be in accordance with procedures established by us. A withdrawal will be effective, and all values determined, as of the end of the Business Day in which we receive your written request in good order, unless you choose to defer the withdrawal’s effective date to a future date acceptable to us. You may not revoke a request for a withdrawal after its effective date.

If you request a withdrawal of less than the entire Contract Accumulation, you must designate the FTD(s) and/ or the Short Term Holding Account from which we should take the withdrawal. If you have not provided these instructions in good order, we will reject your withdrawal request unless we receive your request within the last 30 days of an FTD’s term. If we receive your withdrawal request within the last 30 days of an FTD’s term, we will make the withdrawal from the expiring FTD. However, if the amount of your withdrawal request exceeds the Contract Accumulation in the expiring FTD, we will reject the portion of the withdrawal request that exceeds the Contract Accumulation in the expiring FTD.

If you withdraw your entire Contract Accumulation, we will cancel your Contract and all of our obligations to you under the Contract will end. For Non-Qualified Contracts, we will deduct the annual maintenance fee from any surrender proceeds, if your Contract Accumulation is less than $25,000 at the time of surrender.

Surrenders and withdrawals made more than 30 days before the maturity of an FTD’s term may be subject to an MVA, except that we will not apply an MVA to that portion of an FTD withdrawal taken to satisfy an IRC minimum distribution requirement. (See “Fixed Term Deposit (“FTD”)”—“Market Value Adjustment.”) Withdrawals and surrenders are subject to federal income tax, and a 10% IRS tax penalty on earnings may apply if you are under age 59 ¹/₂. (See “Federal Income Taxes.”)


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		10

Systematic Interest Withdrawals. If your initial Premium is at least $25,000, you may request systematic withdrawals of the interest that we have credited to your FTD Values. Systematic interest withdrawals must be made from all FTDs in which you are invested. Systematic interest withdrawals can be established for monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual withdrawals from the first to the twenty-eighth day of the month. If the scheduled date of a systematic interest withdrawal is not a Business Day, the withdrawal will be paid on the next Business Day.

We do not assess a surrender charge or apply an MVA on systematic interest withdrawals; however, systematic interest withdrawals are subject to federal income tax, and a 10% IRS tax penalty on earnings may apply if you are under age 59 ¹/₂. (See “Federal Income Taxes.”)

Systematic interest withdrawals can only be initiated when the Contract is issued and can be cancelled only by surrendering the Contract. Systematic interest withdrawals will continue until the earliest of the following:

•

the annuity start date, or,

•

the date we are notified of your death, or

•

the first death benefit payable date.

We may impose a fee of up to $5 per payment for systematic interest withdrawals paid by check.

Market Value Adjustment. We will generally apply an MVA on: any surrender taken from an FTD more than 30 days before the end of its term, except that we will not apply an MVA to that portion of an FTD withdrawal taken to satisfy an IRC minimum distribution requirement; any withdrawal taken from an FTD more than 30 days before the end of its term; and Contract Accumulation applied to an Income Option more than one year prior to the maturity of the FTD’s term. An MVA may be positive or negative, which means an MVA may increase or decrease the amount you receive as a surrender, withdrawal, or annuity payment.

To determine the MVA for an FTD at the time of a premature withdrawal, surrender, or selection of an Income Option from that FTD, we first calculate an MVA ratio (as described below, under “FTD Market Value Adjustment Formula”). We then multiply this ratio by the amount you have withdrawn, surrendered, or applied to an Income Option to calculate the amount of the MVA.

Note:

An MVA will either increase or decrease the amount you receive and you could lose a substantial portion of the Premium(s) you originally invested. You should carefully consider your income needs before purchasing a Contract. You directly bear any investment risk associated with an MVA.

Purpose of an MVA

An MVA generally reflects the relationship on any given day between the interest rate you would earn if your Contract Accumulation remained in the existing FTD until its maturity, and the interest rate you would earn if your Contract Accumulation were transferred to a new FTD with a comparable remaining term on that day.

The difference between these values roughly corresponds with gain or loss we would incur in selling the assets we purchased to support our obligations under the existing FTD in order to pay for an early withdrawal from an FTD. A MVA imposes this gain or loss on you. The greater the difference in interest rates, the greater the effect that an MVA will have on your Contract Accumulation. The amount of time remaining until maturity for a particular FTD also will affect the determination of an MVA; the greater the length of time remaining until maturity, the greater the effect an MVA will have on your Contract Accumulation.

As a general rule, if interest rates have increased since your FTD was issued, the MVA will be negative and will decrease the amount that you receive; if interest rates have decreased during that period by more than 0.25%, the MVA will be positive and will increase the amount that you receive. The MVA formula (as set


		11		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

forth below) contains a 0.25% factor that is designed to compensate us for certain expenses and losses that we may incur, either directly or indirectly, as a result of a premature surrender, withdrawal, or selection of an Income Option. Thus, even if interest rates remain the same during the period, or decrease by less than 0.25%, the MVA will be negative due to the 0.25% factor. The length of the remaining term on the FTD affects the impact of the 0.25% factor. (For example, if you have 5 years remaining in the FTD, the 0.25% factor will decrease the withdrawal amount by 1.25%.)

Exceptions

Any surrender, withdrawal, or selection of an Income Option from an FTD before the end of its term is considered premature and is subject to an MVA except for:

a surrender to cancel the Contract during the “free look” period;

systematic interest withdrawals;

a surrender or withdrawal made by you within the last 30 days of an FTD’s term;

Income Options that begin during the last year of an FTD’s term; and

amounts withdrawn to pay the death benefit.

Application of MVA.

We calculate a separate MVA for each FTD by multiplying the amount that you surrender, withdraw, or from which you apply your Contract Accumulation to an Income Option prematurely by the ratio calculated in accordance with the MVA formula set forth below. If multiple FTDs are affected by your premature surrender, withdrawal, or selection of an Income Option, we will apply multiple MVAs, some of which may be positive and some of which may be negative.

We will apply an MVA to each amount prematurely surrendered, withdrawn, or applied to an Income Option from an FTD. We will calculate the MVA as of the date we receive your written request for surrender or withdrawal or on the Annuity Starting Date before we calculate any annuity payments. If an MVA is positive, we will credit the additional amount to the surrender, withdrawal, or annuity payment; if an MVA is negative, we will deduct the amount from the surrender, withdrawal, or annuity payment. We will also deduct any applicable premium taxes that we have not previously deducted from Premiums or Contract Accumulation before paying any surrender, withdrawal, or annuity payment. We will calculate any MVA and/or premium taxes independently of one another, each calculated based on your Contract Accumulation that you are withdrawing or annuitizing before any of the other adjustments. State laws and regulations may differ as to when we apply the MVA. If you were a New York resident at the time you purchased your Contract, we will not assess a MVA if you apply your Contract Accumulation to an Income Option, even if you do so more than one year before the end of an FTD’s term.

FTD Market Value Adjustment Formula

As described above, the Market Value Adjustment applied to an early withdrawal of an FTD reflects the relationship between the interest rate you would earn if you held an existing FTD to its maturity and the interest rate you would earn if you transferred those same assets to a new current FTD with a comparable remaining term. The difference between these two values roughly corresponds with gain or loss we would incur in selling the assets we purchased to support our obligations under the existing FTD in order to pay for the early withdrawal. To compensate us for certain expenses and losses we may incur when you take an early withdrawal from an FTD, either directly or indirectly, we also deduct 0.25% when comparing the interest rates in the MVA formula. Generally, when the interest rate for the ‘current FTD’ would be higher than the rate for the ‘existing FTD’ minus 0.25%, the MVA will result in a loss, and when the interest rate for the ‘current

FTD’ would be lower than the rate for the ‘existing FTD’ minus 0.25%, the MVA will result in a gain. The MVA imposes this gain or loss on you.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		12

In calculating the MVA, we account for:

(1)

the amount of time remaining until the FTD’s originally scheduled maturity date;

(2)

the FTD’s original interest rate; and

(3)

the corresponding interest rate for a similar new investment with a term equal to the time remaining until the FTD’s original maturity date.

For item (3) in this calculation, we use the rate for a current FTD we may offer (in any contract) of the appropriate term length. If we do not offer such a FTD at the time of the early withdrawal date of the FTD being withdrawn, then we will use the yields for U.S. Treasury STRIPS of appropriate term lengths for the interest rate of both item (2), the FTD’s original interest rate, and item (3).

The formula to calculate the MVA applicable to an FTD withdrawal is the amount of the withdrawal multiplied by N multiplied by R. The formula is multiplying the amount of the withdrawal by the number of years remaining to maturity of the FTD, “N,” and by a factor representing the effect of the change in interest rates, “R.” These factors are calculated as follows:

N =

the number of years remaining until maturity of the FTD. This number is calculated by multiplying the number of days remaining until maturity by 12 and dividing by 365, rounding the result up to the next whole number, and then dividing this result by 12.

The formula for “N” takes the remaining time to maturity in days and converts it to an equivalent figure in years after first calculating an equivalent period in months and rounding up to the next whole number of months.

We then calculate a value “M” which is equal to “N” rounded up to the next whole number. “M” is the time remaining to maturity rounded up to the next whole number of years. This whole number of years is the term we will use to determine the appropriate current rate of interest used in the MVA formula.

R =

“I” reduced by “J” and further reduced by 0.25%, where “I” and “J” are calculated as follows:

“I” is the FTD’s original interest rate. “J” is the corresponding current rate for an investment from the time of the early withdrawal until the FTD’s original maturity date.

The transaction date equals the applicable Annuity Starting Date or the effective date of the withdrawal or surrender.

If a new FTD with a term of “M” years is available to you on the transaction date, then

I = the interest rate applicable to the original FTD

J = the interest rate applicable to a new FTD with a term of “M” years being offered on the transaction date

If a new FTD with a term of “M” years is not available to you on the transaction date, then

I = the yield, as of the effective date of the FTD, of the STRIPS for which the time then remaining until maturity is closest, within six months, to the term of the FTD. If no STRIPS within six months is available, then “I” equals the interpolation of the yields, as of the effective date of the FTD, of the closest STRIPS maturity prior to and the closest STRIPS maturity following the term of the FTD; and

J = the yield, as of the transaction date, of the STRIPS for which the time then remaining until maturity is closest, within six months, to “M” years. If no STRIPS within six months is available, then “J” equals the interpolation of the yields, as of the transaction date, of the closest STRIPS maturity prior to and the closest STRIPS maturity following “M” years.

STRIPS refers to U.S. Treasury STRIPS. The STRIPS yield is the U.S. Treasury STRIPS asked yield reported by The Wall Street Journal, or any successor thereto. If the U.S. Treasury STRIPS


		13		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

asked yield is no longer reported by The Wall Street Journal or its successor, we will choose a substantially similar yield, subject to any requisite approval of the insurance supervisory official of the jurisdiction in which the Contract is issued.

Demonstration of an FTD MVA

All assumptions, including interest rates, are hypothetical for illustration purposes only.

Example 1:

If a Contractowner invested $10,000 in a 10-year FTD and then made a full withdrawal from the FTD three years after purchase, the following MVA would be calculated if the interest rate on a new FTD with a seven- year term was 1% less than the interest rate on the original FTD.


	At Purchase			At Withdrawal
Premium	$	10,000
Amount of FTD withdrawn (total accumulation balance in this example)				$	10,927
Original/Remaining Time (years)		10			7
Original FTD Rate		3.00	%
New FTD Rate (offered on 7-year FTD at the time of the withdrawal)					2.00	%
MVA				$	574
Total amount of FTD withdrawal				$	11,501

In the MVA formula N x R = N x (I-J-0.25%), “N”= 7, “I”= 3.00%, and “J”= 2.00%. This factor is then applied to the Contract Accumulation at withdrawal to arrive at the total MVA.

MVA = $10,927 x (7 x (3.00%-2.00%-0.25%)) = $574

So, the MVA results in a FTD withdrawal of the amount withdrawn of $10,927, plus a positive MVA of $574, for a total FTD withdrawal payout of $11,501.

Example 2:


	At Purchase			At Withdrawal
Premium	$	10,000
Amount of FTD withdrawn (total accumulation balance in this example)				$	10,927
Original/Remaining Time (years)		10			7
Original FTD Rate		3.00	%
New FTD Rate (offered on 7 year FTD at the time of the withdrawal)					4.00	%
MVA				$	(956	)
Total amount of FTD withdrawal				$	9,971

In the MVA formula N x R = N x (I-J-0.25%), “N”= 7, “I”= 3.00%, and “J”= 4.00%. This factor is then applied to the Contract Accumulation at withdrawal to arrive at the total MVA.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		14

MVA = $10,927 x (7 x (3.00%-4.00%-0.25%)) = -$956

So, the MVA results in a FTD withdrawal of the amount withdrawn of $10,927, minus a negative MVA of $956, for a total FTD withdrawal payout of $9,971.

Example 3:


	At Purchase			At Withdrawal
Premium	$	10,000
Amount of FTD withdrawn (total accumulation balance in this example)				$	10,927
Original/Remaining Time (years)		10			7
Original FTD Rate		3.00	%
New FTD Rate (offered on 7 year FTD at the time of the withdrawal)					3.00	%
MVA				$	(191	)
Total amount of FTD withdrawal				$	10,736

In the MVA formula N x R = N x (I-J-0.25%), “N”= 7, “I”= 3.00%, and “J”= 3.00%. This factor is then applied to the Contract Accumulation at withdrawal to arrive at the total MVA.

MVA = $10,927 x (7 x (3.00%-3.00%-0.25%)) = -$191

So, even though interest rates have remained the same, the MVA results in a FTD withdrawal of the amount withdrawn of $10,927, minus a negative MVA of $191, for a total FTD withdrawal payout of $10,736.

CHARGES

No Deductions from Premiums. The Contract does not provide for any front-end charges (except for premium taxes as may be required in certain jurisdictions—and as described below).

Premium Taxes. Currently, residents of several states may be subject to premium taxes on their Contracts. We normally will deduct any charges for premium taxes from your Contract Accumulation when it is applied to an Income Option or from Premiums or Contract Accumulation when allocated to an FTD account. State premium taxes currently range from 1.0% to 3.5% of non-qualified Premium payments and are determined by state insurance laws.

Annual Maintenance Fee. Your Contract will be subject to an annual maintenance fee of $25 while there is Contract Accumulation remaining in your Contract to compensate us for the expenses associated with administering your Contract. We will assess this fee annually, on every anniversary of the date of issue of your Contract, and if you surrender your Contract. We will waive the maintenance fee if your Contract Accumulation equals or exceeds $25,000 on an anniversary of your Contract or the day you surrender your Contract. We will deduct this charge first from any amounts you have in the Short Term Holding Account and then from the FTD with the most recent effective date. If more than one FTD became effective on the same most recent date, we will deduct the charge from the FTD with the shortest term on the date when we deduct the charge.

Charge When Systematic Interest Withdrawals are Paid By Check. We may impose a fee of up to $5 per payment for systematic interest withdrawals paid by check.


		15		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

Market Value Adjustment. If you surrender your Contract more than 30 days before the end of the FTD’s term, make a withdrawal from an FTD more than 30 days before the end of the FTD’s term, apply Contract Accumulation to an Income Option more than one year prior to the maturity of the FTD’s term, we generally will apply an MVA to the amount being surrendered, withdrawn, or applied to an Income Option. However, we will not apply an MVA to that portion of an FTD withdrawal taken to satisfy an IRC minimum distribution requirement. An MVA may be positive or negative, which means an MVA may increase or decrease the amount you receive as a surrender, withdrawal, or annuity payment. Accordingly, you could lose a substantial portion of the Premium(s) you originally invested. You should carefully consider your income needs before purchasing a Contract. We will not apply an MVA upon cancellation of the Contract during the “free look” period, on systematic interest withdrawals, upon surrender or withdrawal from an FTD within the last 30 days of an FTD’s term, upon application of the Contract Accumulation to an Income Option during the last year of an FTD’s term, or upon payment of the death benefit. State laws and regulations may differ as to when we apply the MVA. If you were a New York resident at the time you purchased your Contract, we will not assess an MVA if you apply your Contract Accumulation to an Income Option, even if you do so more than one year before the end of an FTD’s term.

Surrender Charge. We will not assess a surrender charge upon cancellation of your Contract during the “free look” period. We also do not assess a surrender charge on surrenders or withdrawals from FTDs, nor from withdrawals from the Short-Term Holding Account. We calculate the surrender charge and MVA independently of one another, each calculated based on the amount that you withdraw before any of the other adjustments.

RECEIVING ANNUITY PAYMENTS

You can elect to receive guaranteed annuity payments under your Contract. The determination of your annuity payment amounts will be based, among other things, on your choice of an Income Option and the amount applied to the Income Option. You may only apply Contract Accumulation to an Income Option. You may choose to receive monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual payments. If your annuity payments would be less than $100 a month, we may decide to change to less frequent payments, and, if we do, we will inform you of that decision. The total value of annuity payments that are eventually made to you may be more or less than the total Premium(s) you paid under the Contract.

If you choose to receive annuity payments that begin more than one year before the end of an FTD’s term, we will apply an MVA to the Contract Accumulation withdrawn from that FTD before we calculate your annuity payments. (See “Fixed Term Deposit (“FTD”)”—“Market Value Adjustment.”) State laws and regulations may differ as to when we apply the MVA. If you were a New York resident at the time you purchased your Contract, we will not assess an MVA if you apply your Contract Accumulation to an Income Option, even if you do so more than one year before the end of an FTD’s term. We also may deduct any charges for premium taxes from your Contract Accumulation before we apply it to an Income Option. (See “The Contract”— “Charges”—“Premium Taxes.”)

WHEN ANNUITY PAYMENTS BEGIN

Generally, you pick the date when you want annuity payments to begin when you complete your application for a Contract. The date you choose cannot be later than any Annuitant’s or any Contractowner’s 90th birthday. You can choose or change the Annuity Starting Date at any time before annuity payments actually begin. In any case, the Annuity Starting Date will be the first day of a month and cannot be earlier than fourteen months after the day your Contract is issued (twelve months for Contracts issued in Florida). Your first annuity check may be delayed while we process your choice of Income Option and calculate the amount of your initial payment.

For payments to begin on the Annuity Starting Date that you chose, we must receive, in good order at our Administrative Office, all information and documentation necessary for the Income Option you have picked. If


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		16

you have Contract Accumulation for which we have not received all the necessary information in good order, we will defer the Annuity Starting Date for that Contract Accumulation until the first day of the month after the information has reached us in good order, but not beyond the Annuitant’s or any Contractowner’s 90th birthday. If you have not picked an Income Option, or if we have not otherwise received all the necessary information by the latest Annuity Starting Date, we will begin payments under a One-Life Annuity with a 10 year guaranteed period, or a shorter guaranteed period, if required under federal tax law.

We will send your annuity payments by mail to your home address or (if you request) by mail or electronic fund transfer to your bank. If you want to change the address or bank where you want your annuity payments sent, it is your responsibility to notify us. We can send payments to your residence or most banks abroad.

ANNUITY PAYMENTS

If your Contract Accumulation is less than or equal to $25,000 and you want to begin receiving income, you must convert your entire Contract Accumulation to annuity income. If your Contract Accumulation is greater than $25,000 and you want to begin receiving income, you must convert at least $25,000 of your Contract Accumulation to annuity income.

Your annuity payments are based on your Contract Accumulation applied to provide the annuity payments on the Annuity Starting Date. At the Annuity Starting Date, the dollar amount of each annuity payment resulting from your Contract Accumulation will become fixed, based upon:

•

the Income Option you choose,

•

the length of the guaranteed period you choose, if applicable,

•

the frequency of payment you choose,

•

the ages of the Annuitant and any Second Annuitant,

•

our then-current annuity rates, which will not be less than those specified in your Contract’s rate schedule and

•

any premium taxes and/or MVAs applied to your Contract Accumulation on the Annuity Starting Date, if applicable.

INCOME OPTIONS

You have a number of different Income Options.

•

One-Life Annuity with or without a Guaranteed Period. This Income Option provides for annuity payments as long as the Annuitant lives. If you choose a guaranteed period (i.e., 10, 15 or 20 years) and your Annuitant dies before the guaranteed period is over, annuity payments will continue to you or your Beneficiary until the end of the guaranteed period you selected. If you do not choose a guaranteed period, all annuity payments end at the Annuitant’s death – so it is possible for the Annuitant to receive only one payment if the Annuitant dies less than a month after annuity payments start.

•

Fixed-Period Annuities. This Income Option provides for annuity payments for a stipulated period of not less than two years or more than 30 years for non-qualified Contracts and not less than five years or more than 30 years for tax-qualified Contracts. At the end of the period you’ve chosen, annuity payments will stop. If you and your joint owner, if any, die before the period is up, your Beneficiary becomes the Contractowner.

•

Two-Life Annuities with or without a Guaranteed Period. This Income Option provides for annuity payments as long as the Annuitant or Second Annuitant lives, then continues at either the same or a reduced level for the life of the survivor, or until the end of the specified guaranteed period, if you choose one, whichever period is longer. There are three types of Two-Life Income


		17		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

Options, all available with or without a guaranteed period – Full Benefit While Either the Annuitant or the Second Annuitant is Alive, Two-Thirds Benefit After the Death of Either the Annuitant or the Second Annuitant, and a Half-Benefit After the Death of the Annuitant.

We may offer different Income Options in the future.

The commuted value of any annuity payments remaining to be paid after the death of a Beneficiary and during a guaranteed period may be paid in a lump sum, unless the Contractowner(s) direct(s) us otherwise. The commuted value is the present value of the remaining annuity payments that will be paid in a lump sum, and such present value is equal to the sum of the scheduled annuity payments less the interest that would have been earned on those payments, from the effective date of the commuted value calculation to the dates when each of the scheduled annuity payments would have been made.

The Fixed-Period Annuities Income Option is not available if you were a New York resident at the time you purchased your Contract.

Annuity payments are subject to federal income tax.

DEATH BENEFITS

AVAILABILITY AND CHOOSING BENEFICIARIES

Unless the “Special Option For Spouses” (which is described immediately below) applies, the death benefit will be paid to the death benefits payee(s) if any Contractowner or Annuitant dies while there is a Contract Accumulation remaining. We will pay the death benefit on the date that we receive due proof of your death. When you complete your application for a Contract, you will name one or more Beneficiaries to receive the death benefit if any Contractowner or Annuitant dies. You can change your Beneficiaries at any time that there is Contract Accumulation remaining. For more information on designating Beneficiaries, you should contact us, and you may also want to consult your qualified legal adviser.

SPECIAL OPTION FOR SPOUSES

If the surviving spouse is the sole Beneficiary when the Contractowner dies, the surviving spouse can either choose to continue as the Contractowner as pertains to the Contract Accumulation, or receive the death benefit. If the surviving spouse does not make a choice within 60 days after we receive (in good order) proof of the Contractowner’s death, the spouse will automatically become the Contractowner as pertains to the Contract Accumulation, and no death benefit will be paid to the surviving spouse. The surviving spouse will also become the Annuitant if the deceased owner was the Annuitant.

The right of a spouse to continue the Contract and all Contract provisions relating to spouses and spousal continuation are available only to a person who meets the definition of “spouse” under federal law. The U.S. Supreme Court has held Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (which purportedly did not recognize same-sex marriages, even those that are permitted under individual state laws) to be unconstitutional. Therefore, same sex marriages recognized under state or foreign law will be recognized for federal law purposes. The Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have determined that for federal tax purposes, same-sex spouses will be determined based on the law of the state in which the marriage was celebrated. IRS guidance provides that civil unions and similar relationships recognized under state law are not marriages unless denominated as such. However, some uncertainty remains regarding the treatment of same-sex spouses as defined under applicable law. Consult a tax adviser for more information on this subject.

AMOUNT OF DEATH BENEFIT

The amount of the death benefit is your Contract Accumulation, if any. Each payee’s death benefit payable date is the date when we have received due proof of death of either the Contractowner or the Annuitant, and all


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		18

information that we require for payment of the payee’s portion of the death benefit has been received by us at our Administrative Office in good order. We will not deduct a surrender charge or apply an MVA to the death benefit payment.

When a death benefit becomes payable, all FTDs will be terminated, and all FTD Values will be applied to the Short Term Holding Account for payment as a death benefit.

METHODS OF PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS

Except as provided below, we will pay each death benefit payee’s portion of the death benefit in one payment. Death benefit payments must be made within five years of your death. Upon payment of the death benefit, the Contract will terminate. Because Beneficiaries may provide the required information to us on different days, Beneficiaries may receive differing amounts, even where all Beneficiaries have been designated so as to share equally in the death benefit proceeds.

If a Contractowner dies while the Contract is in force and before the annuity starting date and if the terms of the Contract so permit, a Beneficiary may elect to have his or her interest in the Contract distributed over his or her life, or over a period not extending beyond his or her life expectancy, provided that such distributions begin no later than one year after the Contractowner’s death. If the terms of the Contract do not provide for such an election, a Beneficiary has an option exercisable within 60 days of the Contractowner’s death (if not pre-selected by the Contractowner) to obtain an annuity from the Company that will distribute the Beneficiary’s interest in the Contract over his or her life, or over a period not extending beyond his or her life expectancy, provided that such distributions begin no later than one year after the Contractowner’s death.

In all events, the death benefit and the termination provisions of the Contract will be administered in accordance with the requirements of Section 72(s) of the IRC, as applicable to your Contract.

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

The following discussion is based on our understanding of current federal income tax law, which is subject to change. For assistance with your personal tax situation, you should check with a qualified tax adviser.

TAXATION OF ANNUITIES

The following discussion assumes the Contracts qualify as “annuity contracts” for federal income tax purposes:

In General. IRC Section 72 governs annuity taxation generally. We believe that an owner who is a natural person usually will not be taxed on increases in the value of a Contract until there is a distribution (i.e., the Contractowner withdraws all or part of the Contract Accumulation or takes annuity payments.) Assigning, pledging, or agreeing to assign or pledge any part of the Contract Accumulation usually will also be considered a distribution.

Withdrawals of accumulated investment earnings will be taxable as ordinary income. The IRC generally requires withdrawals under your Non-Qualified Contract to be first allocated to investment earnings.

The owner of a Non-Qualified Contract who is not a natural person (such as a corporation or trust) generally must treat any increases in the value of the Contract during the taxable year as income. There are significant exceptions to this rule, such as grantor trusts and certain trusts for the benefit of individuals, and a prospective Contractowner who is not a natural person should discuss these potential exceptions with a qualified tax adviser.


		19		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

The following discussion applies generally to Non-Qualified Contracts owned by a natural person:

Withdrawals. If you make a withdrawal from your Contract, the IRC generally treats the withdrawal as first coming from earnings and then from your Premium(s). Such withdrawn earnings are includable in your income in the calendar year when the withdrawal occurs. We will treat all payments under the Contract as withdrawals for tax reporting purposes, except as described under “Annuity Payments” below. Please consult your tax adviser for more information about your particular situation.

The Contract Accumulation immediately before a withdrawal occurs may have to be increased by any positive MVA. For reporting purposes, we treat MVA’s as adjustments to the income credited to the Contract Accumulation.

Annuity Payments. Although the tax consequences may vary depending on the annuity payment option you select, in general, only a portion of the annuity payments you receive will be includable in your gross income. In general, the excludable portion of each annuity payment you receive will be determined as follows: by dividing your “investment in the contract” on the annuity commencement date by the total expected value of the annuity payments for the term of the payments. This is the percentage of each annuity payment that is excludable from your gross income.

The remainder of each annuity payment you receive is includable in your gross income. Once your “investment in the contract” has been fully recovered through the receipt of excludable portions of annuity payments, the full amount of any additional annuity payments will be includable in your gross income and will be taxed as ordinary income.

The IRC provides that payments for at least 10 years or lifetime income payments may be taxed as annuity payments even where they represent only part of the taxpayer’s interest in the annuity contract. In the absence of further guidance under the IRC, we will generally treat payments under guaranteed annuity options as annuity payments for tax reporting purposes. Please consult your tax adviser for more information about your particular situation.

If, after the annuity commencement date, annuity payments stop because an Annuitant died, the excess (if any) of your “investment in the contract” as of the annuity commencement date over the aggregate amount of annuity payments received that was excluded from gross income may possibly be allowable as a deduction in your or your beneficiary’s tax return.

Required Distributions. In order for your Contract to be treated as an annuity contract for federal income tax purposes, Section 72(s) of the IRC requires that it contain certain provisions specifying how your interest in the Contract will be distributed in the event of the death of any Contractowner. Specifically, Section 72(s) requires that (a) if any Contractowner dies when Income Payments remain due, but prior to the time the entire interest in the Contract has been distributed, the entire interest in the Contract will be distributed at least as rapidly as under the method of distribution being used as of the date of such Contractowner’s death; and (b) if any Contractowner dies prior to the Annuity Starting Date, the entire interest in the Contract will be distributed within five years after the date of such Contractowner’s death. However, if the designated Beneficiary is the surviving spouse of the deceased Contractowner (as defined under federal law), the Contract may be continued with the surviving spouse as the new Contractowner. (See “Death Benefits” – “Special Option for Spouses”).

The Contract contains provisions that are intended to comply with these IRC requirements, although no regulations interpreting these requirements have yet been issued. We intend to review the applicable provisions in the Contract and modify them, if necessary, to assure that they comply with the IRC requirements when such requirements are clarified by the IRS, by regulation, or otherwise.

Early Distribution Tax Penalty. The IRC also provides that any amount you receive from your Contract that is included in income may be subject to an IRS tax penalty. The amount of the IRS tax penalty is equal to 10%

of the amount that is includable in income. Some withdrawals will be exempt from the tax penalty. They include any amounts:

(1)

paid on or after you reach age 59 ¹/₂;


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		20

(2)

paid after you die;

(3)

paid if you become totally disabled (as that term is defined in the IRC);

(4)

paid in a series of substantially equal payments made annually (or more frequently) for life or a period not exceeding life expectancy;

(5)

paid under an immediate annuity (as that term is defined in the IRC); or

(6)

that come from purchase payments made prior to August 14, 1982.

With respect to (4) above, if the series of substantially equal periodic payments is modified (unless the modification is made under permitted exceptions) before the later of your attaining age 59¹/₂ or 5 years from the date of the first periodic payment, then the tax for the year of the modification is increased by an amount equal to the tax that would have been imposed (the 10% tax penalty) but for the exception, plus interest for the tax years in which the exception was used. Other exceptions may apply to Qualified Contracts.

Taxation of Death Benefit Proceeds. Amounts may be distributed from a Contract because of your death or the death of the Annuitant. Generally, such amounts are includible in the income of the recipient as follows: (i) if distributed in a lump sum, they are taxed in the same manner as a surrender of the Contract, or (ii) if distributed under a payout option, they are taxed in the same way as annuity payments.

Transfers, Assignments or Exchanges of a Contract. Transferring Contract ownership, pledging the Contract as security for a loan, designating an Annuitant, payee or other Beneficiary who is not also the Contractowner, designating an Annuity Starting Date, or exchanging a Contract can have other tax consequences that we do not discuss here. If you are thinking about any of those transactions, contact a qualified tax adviser.

Multiple Contracts. In determining gross income, IRC Section 72(e) will treat as one contract all TIAA-CREF Life non-qualified and TIAA non-qualified deferred annuity contracts issued to the same contract owner during any calendar year. This treatment could affect when income from withdrawals is taxable and how much might be subject to the 10% IRS tax penalty on earnings (see above). You should consult a qualified tax adviser before buying more than one deferred annuity contract in any calendar year from us and/or TIAA for the purpose of gaining a tax advantage.

Partial 1035 Exchanges. Section 1035 of the IRC provides that a non-qualified annuity contract may be exchanged in a tax-free transaction for another annuity contract. The IRS has also ruled that a partial exchange of an annuity contract, whereby a portion of an annuity contract is directly transferred into another annuity contract, would also qualify as a non-taxable exchange. IRS guidance provides that if a distribution occurs from either of the contracts involved within 180 days of a partial exchange that the IRS may apply general tax principles to determine the substance and hence, the treatment of the transfer. This could result, for example, in the subsequent distribution being treated as money received in the exchange. This 180 day rule does not apply to subsequent distributions taken to effect another 1035 exchange. The IRS guidance also provides that Partial 1035 exchanges are disregarded for purposes of determining whether 2 or more deferred annuity contracts have been purchased from an insurer and its affiliates in a 12 month period. Contractowners should consult their own qualified tax advisers prior to entering into a partial exchange of an annuity contract.

Medicare Tax. Beginning in 2013, distributions from non-qualified annuity contracts will be considered “investment income” for purposes of the newly enacted Medicare tax on investment income. Thus, in certain circumstances, a 3.8% tax may be applied to some or the entire taxable portion of distributions (e.g. earnings) to individuals whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts. ($200,000 for filing single, $250,000 for married filing jointly and $125,000 for married filing separately.) Please consult a tax adviser for more information.

WITHHOLDING

Distributions are usually subject to withholding for the recipient’s federal income tax liability at rates that vary according to the type of distribution and the recipient’s tax status. However, recipients can usually choose not


		21		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

to have tax withheld from distributions. Unnecessary withholdings, delays in payment while we attempt to verify information and other adverse tax and financial consequences may result if you or your beneficiary do not provide us with a valid Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number, or if the taxpayer fails to properly complete and execute tax-related forms and certifications required for us to process distributions and administer your Contract.

POSSIBLE CHARGE FOR TIAA-CREF LIFE’S TAXES

Currently, we do not charge the Contracts for any federal, state, or local taxes on it other than premium taxes (See “The Contract”—“Charges”—“Premium Taxes”), but we reserve the right to charge the Contracts for any tax or other cost resulting from tax laws that we believe should be attributed to the Contracts.

OTHER TAX ISSUES

Federal Estate Taxes, Gift and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes. While no attempt is being made to discuss in detail the federal estate tax implications of the Contract, you should keep in mind that the value of a Contract owned by a decedent and payable to a Beneficiary by virtue of surviving the decedent is included in the decedent’s gross estate. Depending on the terms of the Contract, the value of the annuity included in the gross estate may be the value of the lump sum amount payable to the designated Beneficiary or the actuarial value of the payments to be received by the Beneficiary. You should consult a qualified estate planning adviser for more information.

Under certain circumstances, the IRC may impose a “generation skipping transfer tax” (“GST”) when all or part of a Contract is transferred to, or a death benefit is paid to, an individual two or more generations younger than the Contractowner. Regulations issued under the IRC may require us to deduct this tax from your Contract, or from any applicable payment, and pay it directly to the IRS.

For 2016, the federal estate tax, gift tax and GST tax exemptions and maximum rates are $5,450,000 and 40%, respectively.

The potential application of these taxes underscores the importance of seeking guidance from a qualified adviser to help ensure that your estate plan adequately addresses your needs and those of your beneficiaries under all possible scenarios.

Federal Defense of Marriage Act. The Contract provides that upon your death, a surviving spouse may have certain continuation rights that he or she may elect to exercise for the Contract’s death benefit and any joint- life coverage under an optional living benefit. All Contract provisions relating to spousal continuation are available only to a person who meets the definition of “spouse” under federal law. The U.S. Supreme Court has held Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (which purportedly did not recognize same-sex marriages, even those which are permitted under individual state laws) to be unconstitutional. Therefore, same-sex marriages recognized under state or foreign law will be recognized for federal law purposes. The Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have recently determined that for federal tax purposes, same-sex spouses will be determined based on the law of the state in which the marriage was celebrated. However, some uncertainty remains regarding the treatment of same-sex spouses. Consult a tax adviser for more information on this subject.

Annuity purchases by residents of Puerto Rico. The Internal Revenue Service has announced that income received by residents of Puerto Rico under life insurance or annuity contracts issued by a Puerto Rico branch of a United States life insurance company is U.S.-source income that is generally subject to United States federal income tax.

Annuity purchases by nonresident aliens. The discussion above provides general information regarding U.S. federal income tax consequences to annuity purchasers that are U.S. citizens or residents. Purchasers who are not U.S. citizens or residents will generally be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax on taxable


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		22

distributions from annuity contracts at a 30% rate, unless a lower treaty rate applies. In addition, such purchasers may be subject to state and/or municipal taxes and taxes that may be imposed by the purchaser’s country of citizenship or residence. Additional withholding may occur with respect to entity purchasers (including foreign corporations, partnerships, and trusts) that are not U.S. residents. This contract may not be available to certain foreign entity purchasers. Prospective purchasers are advised to consult with a qualified tax adviser regarding U.S., state, and foreign taxation with respect to an annuity contract purchase.

Foreign tax credits. We may benefit from any foreign tax credits attributable to taxes paid by certain funds to foreign jurisdictions to the extent permitted under federal tax law.

Possible tax law changes. Although the likelihood of legislative changes is uncertain, there is always the possibility that the tax treatment of the Contract could change by legislation or otherwise. Consult your tax adviser with respect to legislative developments and their effect on the Contract.

We have the right to modify the Contract in response to legislative changes that could otherwise diminish the favorable tax treatment that annuity contract owners currently receive. We make no guarantee regarding the tax status of any Contact and do not intend the above discussion as tax advice.

TAX ADVICE

What we tell you here about federal and other taxes is not comprehensive and is for general information only. It does not cover every situation and cannot be used to avoid any tax penalty. Taxation varies depending on the circumstances, and state and local taxes may also be involved. For complete information on your personal tax situation, you should check with a qualified tax adviser.

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

Business Overview

We are a stock life insurance company and were organized under the laws of the state of New York on November 20, 1996. We commenced operations under our former name, TIAA Life Insurance Company, and changed our name on May 1, 1998. Our headquarters are located at 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-3206. We are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA”). We are subject to regulation by the New York Department of Financial Services as well as by the insurance regulatory authorities of all the states and certain other jurisdictions. We are licensed to issue life insurance and annuity products in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Our primary products are annuities, life insurance, funding agreements and separate account guaranteed interest contracts (“SAGIC”). The annuities and life insurance products are marketed directly to individuals or to individuals through an insurance group trust while the funding agreements are issued directly to states and to institutions. The SAGIC product is an unallocated, non-participating deposit type contract in the separate account and is designed as an investment vehicle offered to trustees and/or plan sponsors of stable value funds. Our individual products are available to the general public. We market primarily to the individuals who own retirement annuities or insurance policies issued by our parent, TIAA, and beginning May, 2012, TC Life expanded its marketing reach beyond its historic TIAA customer base to target general public prospects that may not have any affiliation with TIAA or TC Life, using independent third party insurance distributors. TIAA provides retirement annuities and insurance coverage to more than 5 million active and retired individuals primarily at more than 16,000 educational, research, and cultural institutions, other nonprofit organizations and certain governmental entities across the United States.

We operate four primary business segments, which are defined as our major products: Individual Annuities, Life Insurance, Funding Agreements and SAGIC. Additional information concerning our business segments may be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” included herein.


		23		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

Individual Annuities

The Individual Annuities business segment issues (and provides customer service for) a number of individual after-tax annuity products. We distribute our annuity products through non-commissioned agents appointed by us. Those agents selling variable annuities and/or modified guaranteed annuities are also registered representatives of our affiliated broker-dealers. We offer both flexible premium deferred annuities and single premium immediate annuities.

Our variable annuities offer contract owners the opportunity to invest in various investment subaccounts of the separate accounts, based on the contract owners’ investment allocation decisions, while some of the variable annuities also offer a fixed account option through our general account, which guarantees principal and a minimum interest rate. The separate accounts that support our variable annuities are registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as unit investment trusts, and their assets are invested in corresponding portfolios of the TIAA-CREF Life Funds, a Delaware statutory trust registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (File No. 811-08961) as an open-end management investment company, or in other, non-proprietary funds.

At December 31, 2015, the general account reserves associated with our outstanding individual annuities were approximately $1,409.5 million, and total separate account liabilities associated with outstanding individual annuities were approximately $1,723.2 million.

Life Insurance

The Life Insurance business segment distributes term life insurance, universal life insurance and variable universal life insurance. We sell our life insurance products through non-commissioned agents appointed by us and through commissioned agents appointed by us but who operate under distribution agreements between us and the independent distribution agencies with which they are affiliated. Those non-commissioned agents selling variable insurance products are also registered representatives of our affiliated broker-dealers. Those commissioned independent agents selling variable insurance products are also registered representatives of independent broker dealers who enter into selling agreements with our affiliated principal underwriting broker- dealer. Our primary marketing efforts for term life insurance products involve direct mail and an Internet web site to direct potential policyholders to apply online, or contact a call center staffed by licensed agents.

The term life insurance product line includes annually renewable term and level premium term life insurance policies, both of which offer level death benefit coverage until the policies’ expiration dates. Universal life insurance policies include single life and last survivor individual non-participating flexible premium adjustable life insurance contracts. Variable universal life insurance policies include single life and last survivor individual non-participating flexible premium variable life insurance contracts. Assets associated with variable universal life insurance policies are held in various investment subaccounts of separate accounts, based on policyholders’ investment allocation decisions. Those separate accounts are registered with the SEC as unit investment trusts, and their assets are invested in the corresponding portfolios of the TIAA-CREF Life Funds or in other, non-proprietary funds.

Underwriting. We establish underwriting policies for risk selection and classification. The information that we use to perform our underwriting includes information from the insurance application, inspection reports, attending physician statements, medical examinations or other pertinent information. This information is then used to determine whether we will issue the policy as applied for or other than applied for (i.e., with modifications that are acceptable to us), or whether we will reject the insurance application. The various requirements for the information that we use in our underwriting vary by the age of the applicant and by the amount of coverage being requested. For certain risks, we may also use reinsurers to assist us in the evaluation of the risk.

Reinsurance. We use reinsurance to manage risk by ceding (i.e., transferring) some of our insurance reserve liabilities to other insurance and reinsurance companies. Even when we enter into a reinsurance contract with


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		24

another insurance or reinsurance company, we will retain liability with respect to ceded insurance should the reinsurer fail to meet its obligations. Our maximum retention is $1.5 million for one insured life and $2.5 million for two insured lives for contracts issued prior to June 27, 2006, and $5.0 million for one insured life and $9.0 million for two insured lives for contracts issued on or after June 27, 2006. For contracts issued after May 1, 2012, our maximum retention is $15 million on one insured life and $20 million for two insured lives. Our maximum retention is less for certain issue ages and underwriting classifications.

At December 31, 2015, we had total life insurance in force of approximately $46.4 billion, of which approximately $32.2 billion was ceded through reinsurance. At December 31, 2015, total policy reserves held in our general account associated with life insurance policies in force on that date were approximately $1,267.7 million, and separate account liabilities associated with outstanding variable universal life policies were approximately $194.0 million.

Funding Agreements

Our Funding Agreements business segment currently focuses on providing non-participating flexible premium funding agreements, which are issued from our general account, to support education-related investment and/or savings programs sponsored by various states. Several states sponsor a 529 college savings plan (named after section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”)), and each plan is a tax-advantaged investment and savings program designed to encourage account owners to save for the future higher education expenses of a designated beneficiary. Some states offer a guaranteed option to those investing in the state’s college savings plan, and we provide funding agreements to certain states to support their guaranteed option, which guarantees a return of account owners’ principal, with interest. We can also make available a funding agreement to any state that provides a state scholarship program for those seeking higher education.

We currently have funding agreements with eleven states including California, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin. There are 17 funding agreements in 11 states that have current state 529 plans At December 31, 2015, the general account reserves associated with our Funding Agreements were approximately $2,423.4 million.

Separate Account Guaranteed Interest Contracts

TC Life issued its first SAGIC contract in 2012. The contracts will generally be issued to the trustees of stable value funds (commingled and custom single client funds) and will represent one of the funding vehicles of such funds. The contracts may also be issued directly to defined contribution plan sponsors (or the trustee for the plan) in order to be used as a funding vehicle for the stable value option offered to the plan’s participants. Deposits on the SAGIC product totaled $115.08 million in 2015. At December 31, 2015, the separate account reserves associated with the SAGIC product were approximately $3,275.9 million.

Additional Business Considerations

In addition to the preceding description of the products that we distribute through our three primary business segments, there are other elements of our business operations that may affect our operating performance and our financial condition.

Investments

Our general account investment portfolio primarily consists of bonds, stocks, cash, short-term investments and other long-term investments. Our total assets were approximately $9,831.8 million at December 31, 2014. Of this total amount, the assets in the separate accounts equaled approximately $4,851.9 million, and those in the general account equaled approximately $4,979.9 million. Our overall general account portfolio quality was very high with 99.1% of our total invested assets classified as investment grade with approximately 0.9% of our portfolio below investment grade.


		25		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

The selection and management of our general account investment portfolio reflect the asset/liability analyses that we perform for our various business segments and the specific products that they issue. Our investment objective is to earn the highest possible rates of return within reasonable risk parameters while ensuring a prudently diversified portfolio.

The Notes to “TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company’s Statutory-Basis Financial Statements,” included herein, contain additional information about our investment portfolio and explain how we value each asset class under the statutory accounting principles that we follow, in accordance with the insurance regulatory framework with which we must comply.

Policy Liabilities and Accruals

The applicable state insurance laws under which we operate require that we record policy liabilities to meet the future obligations associated with all of our outstanding policies. These liabilities are calculated in accordance with such applicable state insurance laws and are the amounts that allow us to make adequate provision for the anticipated future cash flows required by our contractual obligations on all outstanding policies. These state insurance laws specify the calculation method(s), mortality rates and interest rates that we are required to use, in order to determine the minimum required liabilities for the various policy types that we issued and have outstanding.

Federal Income Tax Consequences

Our earnings are subject to federal income tax utilizing rules similar to those applied to other corporations. However, the IRC contains specific provisions relevant to life insurance companies that impact the amount and timing of certain income and deductible amounts. Such items include, but are not limited to, the treatment of our policy and contract reserves, acquisition costs and utilization of non-life company losses in a consolidated return filing.

Employees

We do not currently have any employees. Our operational needs are provided by TIAA and certain of its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, pursuant to various service, investment management, administrative, selling and distribution agreements, or by third party service providers under separate agreements. Under the agreements with TIAA and its subsidiaries, we reimburse TIAA (and TIAA reimburses its applicable subsidiaries) for certain costs associated with providing these services. We believe that such services are most efficiently performed in this manner to meet our operational needs and that we, thereby, avoid duplicate costs among us, TIAA, and its applicable subsidiaries.

Properties

The Company has no business offices. Our business activities are transacted in facilities owned or leased by TIAA in New York, North Carolina, and several other states pursuant to an inter-company service agreement between the two companies.

Summary Information and Risk Factors

The operating results of insurance and annuity companies have historically been subject to significant fluctuations. The potential risk factors that could affect our future results include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions and the trends and uncertainties that are discussed more fully below.

We operate in a mature, highly competitive industry and that could limit our ability to gain or maintain our competitive position in the industry, which could negatively affect our future profitability.

The life insurance and annuity industry in which we operate is a very mature industry and is highly competitive, with many companies of varying sizes offering products that are similar to ours and distributing them through a variety of marketing channels. We compete in the sale of our products with a large number of insurance companies, investment management firms, mutual fund companies, banks and other types of


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		26

competitors. Many of the entities with whom we compete are larger, have been established for a longer period of time, have broader distribution channels and/or have more resources than we do. Furthermore, larger competitors may be better able than we are to lower their operating costs or have a better ability to absorb greater risk, while maintaining their financial strength ratings, which may allow them to price their products more competitively.

We offer life insurance protection products, cash value accumulation life insurance products and annuity products designed to meet the demands of an aging population with evolving retirement savings and wealth protection needs.

Competition in each of our businesses is based on a number of factors, which include investment performance, efficiency and ease of distribution, servicing capability, range of products, product quality, features and innovation, competitive fees, financial strength and organizational reputation. Our competitive strengths include our low expenses, historically high credited interest rates, good customer service and, for certain of our products, low liquidity demands, which permit us to invest the related assets in less liquid, longer-term, higher yielding investments, which in turn improves our ability to deliver strong long-term investment performance. We believe that we are well positioned to maintain and even increase our market position in the face of this competition; however, there are risks to our ability to meet that goal. Our continued ability to compete depends upon many internal and external factors that may affect us. Some of the internal factors that may affect our future competitiveness include our ability to market to target customers, our ability to effectively market to fee-based financial advisors and to independent insurance agents, our ability to develop and maintain competitive products, our ability to maintain an appropriate cost structure and our ability to maintain strong financial strength ratings from the nationally recognized rating agencies. Some of the external factors that may affect our future competitiveness include potential changes in the tax treatment of the products that we offer, changes in the relative competitive strengths of the other entities in our marketplace, and the continuing evolution of financial products and services offered by our competitors.

Substantial regulation of the insurance and annuity industry may adversely affect our business.

We are licensed to transact our life insurance and annuity business in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and we are subject to substantial government regulation in each of the jurisdictions in which we are licensed. Such regulation includes, among others, the authority to grant or revoke operating licenses and to regulate premium rates, benefits, marketing and sales practices, advertising, the form and content of policy forms, underwriting standards, deposits of securities, investments, accounting practices and the maintenance of specified reserves and capital adequacy. Such regulation is concerned primarily with the protection of contract owners rather than stockholders or general creditors.

Most jurisdictions also have laws requiring companies like us to participate as members of their life and health insurance guaranty associations. These associations levy assessments on all member insurers based on the proportionate share of the premiums written by each member in the lines of business in which an impaired or insolvent insurer is engaged. While the amount of future assessments cannot be accurately predicted, we may be required to allocate funds to satisfy unanticipated assessments in the future, and that could adversely affect our results of operations for the period when those assessments occur.

We are required to file detailed annual statutory-basis financial statements with supervisory agencies in each of the jurisdictions in which we are licensed. We are also subject to examination by such agencies at regular intervals.

As life insurers introduce new and often more complex products, regulators may refine capital requirements and introduce new reserving standards for the life insurance industry. Regulations recently adopted or currently under review can potentially impact the reserving/capital requirements and marketing/sales practices for certain products, particularly variable annuities and the optional guaranteed benefits offered with these products.


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If an insurer’s risk-based capital falls below specified levels, the insurer would be subject to different degrees of regulatory action, depending upon the level. Possible regulatory actions range from requiring the insurer to take actions to correct the risk-based capital deficiency to placing the insurer under regulatory control.

While the life insurance industry is primarily regulated at the state level, some products are also subject to federal regulation. Various federal and state securities regulators and self-regulatory organizations, such as the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), continue to review and, in many cases, adopt changes to their established rules and policies in areas such as corporate governance, mutual fund trading, mutual fund and variable annuity distribution practices, disclosure practices and auditor independence that can impact the insurance industry.

In recent years, various legislative proposals have also been introduced in Congress that called for the federal government to assume some role in the regulation of the insurance industry. To date, none of the Congressional proposals has been enacted. We cannot predict what form any such future proposals might take or what effect, if any, such proposals might have on us if enacted into law. Any legislation that increases government regulation of the industry may have an adverse effect on our operations. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations is time consuming and personnel-intensive, and changes in these laws and regulations may materially increase both our direct and indirect compliance-related costs and other expenses of doing business, thus potentially having a material adverse effect on our financial results.

Future changes in laws and regulation, including the tax treatment of the products we sell, may adversely affect our business.

Federal legislation, administrative policies and court decisions can significantly and adversely affect our business in relation to product tax issues and taxation generally. For example, the following events could adversely affect our business:

•

Changes in tax laws that would reduce or eliminate the tax-deferred accumulation of earnings on the premiums paid by the holders of annuities and life insurance products;

•

Repeal of the federal estate tax; or

•

Changes in the availability of individual retirement accounts.

Existing federal laws and regulations affect the taxation and, as a result, the relative attractiveness of the products that we issue. Income tax on investment earnings during the accumulation period of certain life insurance and annuity products is generally deferred for contract owners. This favorable tax treatment may give certain of our products a competitive advantage over other, non-insurance products. To the extent that the IRC may be revised in the future to reduce or eliminate the tax-deferred advantage of life insurance and/or annuity products, or may be revised to create or increase the tax-deferred treatment of competing products, all life insurance companies could be adversely affected with respect to their ability to sell life insurance and/or annuity products. Also, depending upon any grandfathering provisions that may be created if the IRC were revised to reduce or eliminate the tax-deferred advantage of life insurance and/or annuity products, we could be adversely affected by the surrenders of existing annuity contracts and/or life insurance policies.

Additionally, if enacted, currently proposed changes in the federal tax law that would establish new tax- advantaged retirement and life savings plans could reduce the relative tax advantage of investing in life insurance and/or annuity products. Such proposals include changes that may create new non-insurance vehicles for tax-exempt savings.

We cannot predict what changes, if any, to existing tax law, or the relevant interpretations of such tax law, may ultimately be enacted or adopted, and, as a result, we cannot predict whether any such changes will adversely affect the future taxation of our operations.

A downgrade in our ratings from the nationally recognized rating agencies could materially and adversely affect many aspects of our business.

Ratings from the nationally recognized rating agencies are an important factor in the competitive positioning of life insurance and annuity companies. A downgrade in our ratings could have a material adverse effect on our


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business, financial condition and operating results. In addition, a downgrade in the our ratings could adversely affect (i) our ability to sell certain of our products and (ii) the returns on the insurance and annuity products we issue and, ultimately, (iii) the results of our operations. Rating agencies regularly review the operating performance and financial condition of insurers, including us. Rating agencies assign ratings based upon several factors. While most of the factors relate to the rated company, some of the factors relate to the views of the rating agency about the rated company’s industry, general economic conditions and circumstances outside the rated company’s control. In addition, rating agencies use various models and formulas to assess the strength of a rated company, and may, from time to time, alter their models. Changes to the rating agencies’ models could impact the rating agencies’ judgment of the rating to be assigned to the rated company. We cannot predict what actions the rating agencies may take in the future or how those actions could affect us.

A downgrade in TIAA’s ratings from the nationally recognized rating agencies could materially and adversely affect many aspects of our business.

We have a financial support agreement with TIAA. Under this agreement, TIAA will provide support so that we will have the greater of (a) capital and surplus of $250.0 million, (b) the amount of capital and surplus necessary to maintain our capital and surplus at a level not less than 150% of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) Risk Based Capital model or (c) such other amount as necessary to maintain our financial strength ratings from the nationally recognized rating agencies at least the same as TIAA’s ratings at all times. This agreement is not an evidence of indebtedness or an obligation or liability of TIAA and does not provide any of our contract owners with recourse to TIAA.

The risks noted above about a downgrade in our ratings from the nationally recognized rating agencies are also applicable to TIAA, and a downgrade in TIAA’s ratings could have a material adverse effect on us because of the terms of the financial support agreement that we have with TIAA. Under one of the provisions of that financial support agreement, TIAA will provide financial support to us as necessary to maintain our financial strength rating at least the same as TIAA’s rating at all times. TIAA’s Statutory-Basis Financial Statements are included in our Form S-1 Registration Statement filed with the SEC.

Our operating results may be negatively affected in the future if actual experience differs from the assumptions and estimates that management used in underwriting and distributing our products.

Our product pricing includes long-term assumptions regarding investment returns, mortality, morbidity, persistency, operating costs and other expenses of our business. We establish target returns for each product based upon these factors and the average amount of capital that we must hold to support in-force contracts, to satisfy rating agencies’ expectations and to meet regulatory requirements. We monitor and manage our pricing and overall sales mix to achieve target returns on a portfolio basis. Profitability from new business emerges over a period of years depending on the nature and life of the product and is subject to variability as actual results may differ from pricing assumptions.

Our profitability depends on the adequacy of investment margins, the management of market and credit risks associated with our investments, the sufficiency of premiums and contract charges to cover mortality and morbidity benefits, the persistency of policies to ensure recovery of acquisition expenses and the management of operating costs and expenses within anticipated pricing allowances. Legislation and regulation of the insurance marketplace and products could also affect our profitability.

Our ability to maintain our competitive cost structure is dependent upon us generating a sufficient level of new sales and achieving our projected persistency of existing business.

Our ability to maintain our competitive cost structure is dependent upon a number of factors, such as us generating a sufficient level of new sales, achieving our projected persistency (i.e., continuation or renewal) of existing business and achieving successful expense management. A decrease in sales or persistency without a corresponding reduction in expenses may result in higher unit costs, which could adversely affect our results of operations.


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Interest rate fluctuations and market volatility may affect sales of our products and the profitability of our businesses.

Fluctuations in interest rates, volatility in the securities markets and other economic factors may adversely affect the sales of our products. For example, a decline in market interest rates may result in lower crediting rates on our products, which may adversely affect the desirability of these products to potential customers. Additionally, a protracted period of strong performance of the equity markets could adversely impact the popularity and sales of our fixed annuity products. The level of volatility in the investment markets in which we invest and our overall investment returns also impact our profitability. The profitability of many of our products, and, in particular our annuity products, depend in large part on our ability to manage the spread between the interest rates that we earn on our investments and the interest rates that we credit to holders of our annuity and life insurance products. As markets become more volatile, it can become increasingly difficult to maintain our anticipated spreads. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully manage our spread risk in the future. If we are unable to achieve the interest rate spreads that we projected in pricing our products, our operating performance will be adversely affected.

Additionally, our asset/liability management programs and procedures incorporate assumptions about the relationship between short-term and long-term interest rates (i.e., the slope of the yield curve). In general terms, our results are improved when the yield curve is positively sloped (i.e., when long-term interest rates are higher than short-term interest rates), and will be adversely affected by a flat or negatively sloped yield curve. Our asset/liability management programs and procedures also incorporate assumptions about the relationships between risk-adjusted and risk-free interest rates, market liquidity and other factors. The effectiveness of our asset/liability management programs and procedures may be negatively affected whenever actual results differ from the assumptions that we used.

Equity market volatility and downturns in the equity markets could negatively impact our business.

Significant downturns and volatility in the equity markets could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations in three principal ways. First, equity market downturns and volatility may discourage purchases of separate account products, such as variable annuities and variable life insurance, because these products have investment returns linked to the performance of the equity markets. Significant downturns and volatility in the equity markets may also cause some of our existing customers to withdraw their cash values or reduce additional investments in those products.

Second, downturns and volatility in the equity markets can have an adverse effect on the revenues that we receive from our separate account products. Because these products generate fees generally from the value of the assets under management, a decline in the equity markets could reduce the value of the investment assets that we manage, thereby reducing our revenues.

Finally, all of our variable annuity products include provisions for guaranteed minimum death benefits that are dependent on or are tied to the investment performance of the assets held within the variable annuity. A significant equity market decline could result in declines in customer account values which could increase our obligation to make payments under guaranteed minimum death benefits in connection with variable annuities. An unexpected increase in such payments could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our investments are subject to market and credit risks.

Our invested assets and derivative financial instruments are subject to the risks of credit defaults and changes in market values. Additionally the value of our commercial mortgage loan portfolio depends, in part, on the financial condition of the tenants occupying the properties that we have financed and the strength of the commercial real estate market, both generally and in the specific markets where the financed properties are located. Factors that may affect the overall default rate on and market value of our invested assets, derivative financial instruments and mortgage loans include market interest rate levels, financial market performance and general economic conditions, as well as particular circumstances affecting the businesses of individual borrowers and tenants.


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We could be forced to sell investments at a loss to pay contract benefits, cover contract owner withdrawals, or fund maturities.

Many of the products that we offer allow contract owners to withdraw their funds under defined circumstances, often without penalties. We manage our liability structure and configure our investment portfolio to maintain sufficient liquidity to support anticipated withdrawal demands, to pay contract benefits and to fund contract maturities. While we own a significant amount of liquid assets, a certain portion of our assets are relatively illiquid. If we experience unanticipated withdrawal, benefit payment or surrender activity, we could exhaust the liquid assets and be forced to liquidate other assets, perhaps on unfavorable terms and incur losses. If we are forced to dispose of assets on unfavorable terms and incur losses, it could have an adverse effect on our financial condition.

We are dependent on the performance of others.

In addition to our reliance on the financial and administrative performance of our reinsurers, which we describe in the next section, our business and operating results may be affected by the performance of others because we have entered into various arrangements involving services provided by other parties. For example, we distribute life insurance products through independent distributors where we do not control their activity as we do with our captive employee agents. Also, a substantial portion of our business is administered by third parties on our behalf. Because certain of these other parties may act on our behalf or represent us in various capacities, we may be held responsible for obligations that arise from the acts or omissions of these other parties. Additionally, our business operations are dependent on various technologies, some of which are provided and/or maintained by other parties.

As with all financial services companies, our ability to conduct business is dependent upon consumer confidence in the industry and in our products. The future actions of our competitors and the potential financial difficulties of other companies in the industry could undermine consumer confidence and adversely affect our retention of existing business and the future sales of our life insurance and annuity products.

Our reinsurers could fail to meet assumed obligations, significantly increase their reinsurance rates, or be subject to adverse developments that could adversely affect our business, our operating results or our organizational reputation.

We cede (i.e., transfer) material amounts of life insurance coverage sold by us to other insurance companies through reinsurance and transfer the related assets to our reinsurers. Notwithstanding the transfer of the related assets, we remain liable with respect to the ceded insurance coverage should any reinsurer fail to meet the obligations assumed by it. Therefore, the financial failure of one or more of our reinsurers could negatively impact our earnings and financial position.

Our ability to compete in the insurance industry is dependent on the availability of reinsurance or other substitute capital market solutions. Our premium rates are based, in part, on the assumption that reinsurance will be available to us at a certain cost. Under certain reinsurance agreements, the reinsurer may prospectively increase the rate it charges us for the reinsurance that we have ceded to the reinsurer. Therefore, if the cost of reinsurance were to increase, or if reinsurance were to become unavailable and if alternatives to reinsurance were not available to us, our profitability could be adversely affected.

In recent years, the number of life reinsurers has decreased as the reinsurance industry has continued to consolidate. Access to reinsurance has become more costly for us as well as for the insurance industry in general. This could have a negative effect on our ability to compete successfully in the future. The decreased number of participants in the life reinsurance market also results in an increased concentration risk for insurers, including us. If the reinsurance market further contracts, our ability to continue to offer our products on favorable terms could be adversely impacted.


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Financial service companies are frequently the targets of litigation, including class action litigation, which could result in substantial judgments. Although we are not currently involved in any significant litigation, there can be no assurance that material litigation will not arise in the future.

We may become subject to class action and individual lawsuits alleging, among other things, issues relating to sales or underwriting practices, claims payments and procedures, product design, product disclosure, administration, denial or delay of benefits, charging excessive or impermissible fees on products, recommending unsuitable products to customers and breaching fiduciary or other duties to customers. Plaintiffs in class action and other lawsuits may seek very large or indeterminate amounts, including punitive and treble damages, which may remain unknown for substantial periods of time. While we are not a party to any current litigation that could have a material adverse effect on us, litigation may arise in the future that may result in material financial losses or require significant management resources.

We are also subject to various regulatory inquiries, such as information requests, subpoenas and examinations of our books and records, by state and federal regulators and other authorities. A substantial legal liability or a significant regulatory action against us could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, even if we ultimately prevail in the litigation, regulatory action, or investigation, we could suffer significant reputational harm, which could also have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our computer systems (or those of our service providers) may fail or their security may be compromised, which could damage our business and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operation.

Our business is highly dependent upon the effective operation of our computer systems and those of our affiliated and unaffiliated service providers. We rely on these systems throughout our business for a variety of functions, including processing applications and claims, providing information to customers, regulatory bodies and distributors, performing actuarial analyses and maintaining our financial records. Despite our implementation of what we consider to be prudent security and back-up measures, our computer systems and those of our business partners may be vulnerable to physical or electronic intrusions, computer viruses or other attacks, programming errors and similar disruptive problems. The failure of these systems for any reason could cause significant interruptions to our operations, which could result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operation.

We retain confidential information in our computer systems and those of our service providers, and we rely on sophisticated commercial technologies to maintain the security of those systems. Anyone who is able to circumvent our security measures and/or penetrate our computer systems and/or those of our service providers could access, view, misappropriate, alter, or delete any information in the systems, including personally identifiable customer information and proprietary business information. An increasing number of states require that customers be notified if a security breach results in the disclosure of personally identifiable customer information. Any compromise of the security of our computer systems and those of our service providers that results in inappropriate disclosure of personally identifiable customer information could damage our reputation in the marketplace, deter people from purchasing our products, subject us to significant civil and criminal liability and require us to incur significant technical, legal and other expenses.

We are exposed to unanticipated risks, such as natural disasters, pandemics and malicious or terrorist acts, which could adversely affect our operations.

While we have implemented what we believe are prudent risk management and contingency plans and have taken other preventive measures and precautions, we could still be affected by scenarios that could have an adverse effect on us. In addition, our policies and procedures to identify, monitor and manage risks may not be fully effective. Many of our methods of managing risk and exposures are based upon historical market behavior or statistics based on historical models. As a result, these methods may not predict future exposures, which could be significantly greater than historical measures would indicate. Other risk management methods depend on the evaluation of information regarding markets, clients, catastrophe occurrence or other matters that is publicly available or otherwise accessible to us; however, this information may not always be accurate, complete, up-to-date or properly evaluated.


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A natural disaster (such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tornadoes), a pandemic, or an outbreak of an easily communicable disease could adversely affect our mortality or morbidity experience or that of our reinsurers. Such events could also have an adverse effect on lapses and surrenders of existing policies, as well as a reduction in the sales of new policies. In addition, we are exposed to various risks arising from man-made disasters, including acts of terrorism, malicious acts and military action. All of these types of risks may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. For example, the possible macroeconomic effects of such events could also adversely affect our investment portfolio. Additionally, the disruption of our normal business operations due to catastrophic property damage, loss of life, or disruption of public and private infrastructure, including communications and financial services, could have a negative effect on us. While we have a business continuation and crisis management plan, there is no assurance that our plan and insurance coverages would be completely effective in mitigating any negative effects on our operations or profitability in the event of such a disaster.

We may be exposed to risks in the future that we have not yet identified or that we do not currently consider to be material risks.

The preceding risks may not be the only risks facing us in the future. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us, or that we currently deem to be immaterial, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results in the future.

Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters.

There is no established public trading market for our common stock. All of our outstanding shares are owned by TIAA. As of March 23, 2016, we had issued and outstanding 2,500 shares of common stock, $1,000 par value per share.

Insurers are subject to various state statutory and regulatory restrictions on the insurers’ ability to pay dividends. Under the New York Insurance Law, we are permitted without prior insurance regulatory clearance to pay a stockholder dividend as long as the aggregated amount of all such dividends in any calendar year does not exceed the lesser of (i) 10% of its surplus to policyholders as of the immediately preceding calendar year and (ii) its net gain from operations for the immediately preceding calendar year (excluding realized investment gains).

In 2015, 2014, and 2013, we paid no dividends on our common stock to TIAA. We have no plans to pay dividends in 2016.

GENERAL MATTERS

TELEPHONE AND INTERNET

To speak with a customer service representative to make requests related to your Contract or to obtain more information, you can call the Administrative Office toll-free at 877-694-0305.

You can also use the TIAA-CREF Web Center’s account access feature to check your Contract Accumulation. To use the Web Center’s account access feature, access the TIAA-CREF Internet home page at www.tiaa-cref.org.

CONTACTING TIAA-CREF LIFE

We will not consider any notice, form, request, or payment to have been received by us until it reaches our Administrative Office. You can ask questions by calling toll-free 877-694-0305.


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ELECTRONIC PROSPECTUSES

If you received this prospectus electronically and would like a paper copy, please call toll-free at 877-694-0305, and we will send it to you.

DELAYS IN PAYMENTS

We have the right to defer withdrawals from the Short Term Holding Account for up to six months. If we defer such withdrawals for 10 or more Business Days, we will credit interest to such amounts at the rate we are currently crediting to the Short Term Holding Account, but not less than your Contract’s minimum guaranteed interest rate. If, at any time, applicable state law requires the crediting of a higher rate of interest, we will credit such higher rate.

HOUSEHOLDING

To cut costs and eliminate duplicate documents sent to your home, we may begin mailing only one copy of the prospectus, prospectus supplements, or any other required documents, to your household, even if more than one Contractowner lives there. If you would prefer to continue receiving your own copy of any of these documents, you may write us or call us toll-free at 877-694-0305.

SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS

For some transactions, we may require your signature to be notarized or guaranteed by a commercial bank or a member of a national securities exchange.

ERRORS OR OMISSIONS

We reserve the right to correct any errors or omissions on any form, report or statement that we send to you.

LOANS

Loans are not available under your Contract.

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

The Contract and the completed application are the entire contractual agreement between you and TIAA-CREF Life. We will issue the Contract in return for your completed application and the first Premium. Any endorsement to or amendment of the Contract or waiver of any of its provisions will be valid only if in writing and signed by an executive officer or a registrar of TIAA-CREF Life. All benefits are payable at our home office at 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-3206 or at our Administrative Office.

ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACTS

For Non-Qualified Contracts, you may not assign the entire Contract. Subject to our prior approval of your written notice and request to us, you may assign available Contract Accumulation (which is Contract Accumulation not already subject to an assignment). We assume no responsibility for the validity of any assignment of Contract Accumulation, nor will notice to us of any assignment be effective unless it is in writing and has been received in good order and approved by us. The rights of the Contractowners, Annuitant, any Second Annuitant, any Beneficiaries and any other person to receive benefits under your Contract will be subject to the terms of any assignment. You should consult a qualified tax adviser before making any assignment of your Contract. We reserve the right to restrict any such assignment of Contracts in our sole discretion on a non-discriminatory basis, except where any such restriction would be prohibited by state law. You may not assign annuity payments.


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For Qualified Contracts, neither you nor any other person may assign, pledge, or transfer ownership of the Contract or any benefits under its terms. Any such action will be void and of no effect.

PAYMENT TO AN ESTATE, GUARDIAN, TRUSTEE, ETC.

We reserve the right to pay in one sum the commuted value of any benefits due an estate, corporation, partnership, trustee or other entity that is not a natural person. TIAA-CREF Life will not be responsible for the conduct of any executor, trustee, guardian, or other third party to whom payment is made.

BENEFITS BASED ON INCORRECT INFORMATION

If the amounts of benefits provided under a Contract were based on information that is incorrect, benefits will be recalculated on the basis of the correct data. If any overpayments or underpayments have been made by us, appropriate adjustments will be made.

PROOF OF SURVIVAL

We reserve the right to require satisfactory proof that the Annuitant, Second Annuitant, or anyone named to receive benefits under a Contract is living on the date payment is due. If this proof is not received in good order after a request in writing, we will have the right to make reduced payments or to withhold payments entirely until such proof is received. If under a Two-Life Annuity we have overpaid benefits because we were not notified of a death, we will reduce or withhold subsequent payments until the amount of the overpayment has been recovered by us with appropriate adjustments.

PROTECTION AGAINST CLAIMS OF CREDITORS

The benefits and rights accruing to you or any other persons under the Contract are exempt from the claims of creditors or legal process to the fullest extent permitted by law.

PROCEDURES FOR ELECTIONS AND CHANGE

You have to make any changes or elections under the Contract in a form acceptable to us at our home office at 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-3206 or at our Administrative Office. If you send us a notice changing your Beneficiaries or other persons named to receive payments, it will take effect as of the date it was signed by you, even if you then die before the notice actually reaches us. Any other notice will take effect as of the date we receive it. If we take any action in good faith before we receive a valid notice, we will not be subject to liability even if our acts were contrary to what you told us in the notice. If a joint owner has been named and both owners are living, authorization from both owners is required for changes and transactions other than the allocation of Premiums.

REPORTS

At least once each year, we will send you a report showing your current Contract Accumulation, FTD Values, interest credited, surrender charges deducted and MVAs applied, if any, during the period covered by the report, and any other information required by law.

RELIANCE ON EXEMPTION FROM 1934 ACT REPORTING

We are relying on Rule 12h-7 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), which provides an exemption from the reporting requirements of Sections 13 and 15(d) of the 1934 Act.


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OTHER INFORMATION

Every state has some form of unclaimed property laws that impose varying legal and practical obligations on insurers and, indirectly, on Contract owners, Insureds, Beneficiaries and other payees of proceeds. Unclaimed property laws generally provide for escheatment to the state of unclaimed proceeds under various circumstances.

Contract owners are urged to keep their own, as well as their Insureds’, Beneficiaries’ and other payees’, information up to date, including full names, postal and electronic media addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and social security numbers. Such updates should be communicated in writing to TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company, Administrative Office, P.O. Box 724508, Atlanta, Georgia 31139, by calling us between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday, toll-free at 877 694-0305, or 24 hours a day via our website www.tiaa-cref.org.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE CONTRACTS

We offer the Contracts to the public on a continuous basis. We anticipate continuing to offer the Contracts but reserve the right to discontinue the offering.

The Contracts are offered by TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, (“TC Services”) a wholly- owned subsidiary of TIAA. TC Services is registered with the SEC as a broker dealer, and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA. TC Services may also enter into selling agreements with affiliated entities or with third parties to distribute the Contracts. TC Services may be considered the “principal underwriter” for interests in the Contract. Anyone distributing the Contracts must be a registered representative of TC Services or have entered into a selling agreement with TC Services. The main offices of TC Services are at 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-3206. No commissions are paid in connection with the distribution of the Contracts, although we will reimburse TC Services from our General Account assets for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by TC Services in connection with distributing the Contracts. (We will make the cost and expense reimbursements to TIAA, and TIAA will remit the cost and expense reimbursements to TC Services.) We intend to recoup the cost and expense reimbursements that we make to TC Services through a portion of the investment spread that we expect to earn between the investment of Premiums and the interest that we will credit to the Contracts.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

There are no material pending legal proceedings, other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to our business, to which we or any of our subsidiaries are a party or of which any of our properties are the subject.

EXPERTS

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is the independent auditor of TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company and Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America.

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company Statutory Basis Financial Statements

The statutory basis financial statements as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2013 included in this Registration Statement have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent auditor, located at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.


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Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America Statutory Basis Financial Statements

The statutory basis financial statements as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015 included in this Registration Statement have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent auditor, located at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

LEGAL MATTERS

Ken Reitz, Esq., has provided advice on certain matters relating to the laws of New York regarding the Contracts and our issuance of the Contracts, and has provided advice on certain legal matters relating to the Contracts under the federal securities laws.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion highlights significant factors influencing the financial position and results of operations of TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (referred to in this document as “TC Life”). It should be read in conjunction with the audited statutory-basis financial statements and related notes included herein and Summary Information and Risk Factors included elsewhere in this report.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This discussion reviews TC Life’s financial condition and results of operations, including liquidity and capital resources, for the periods covered by the audited statutory-basis financial statements included in this report. Historical information is presented and discussed and, where appropriate, factors that may affect future financial performance are also identified and discussed. Certain statements included in this section may be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Forward-looking statements include statements about management’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies for the future, include the assumptions underlying these forward-looking statements, and are based on the current expectations, estimates and projections made by management. Forward-looking statements include any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements instead of historical facts and may contain words like “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “will,” “shall,” “may,” and other words, phrases or expressions with similar meaning. While management believes the assumptions underlying any of its forward-looking statements to be reasonable, such information may be subject to risks and uncertainties which may be difficult to predict or may be beyond management’s control, and TC Life cannot give assurance that such statements will prove to be correct. Refer to “Summary Information and Risk Factors” included in TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company Business Overview of this report for more information about the risks that could affect TC Life’s future results. A copy of this report and TC Life’s registration statement, including exhibits, is available on the Internet site of the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on management’s forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Additionally, management’s forward-looking statements represent management’s views only as of the date of this report, and management does not undertake any obligation to update, publicly or otherwise, any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, changed assumptions, future events or otherwise.


		37		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

TC LIFE’S BUSINESS

Overview

TC Life is a stock life insurance company that commenced operations as a legal reserve life insurance company under the laws of the State of New York on December 18, 1996, under the former name, TIAA Life Insurance Company. It changed its name to TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company on May 1, 1998. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association “TIAA”. It is subject to regulation by the State of New York Superintendent of Financial Services as well as by the insurance regulatory authorities of all the states and certain other jurisdictions. It is licensed to issue life insurance and annuity products in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

TC Life’s primary products are individual annuities, life insurance, funding agreements, and separate account guaranteed interest contracts (“SAGIC”). The individual annuities and life insurance products are marketed directly to individuals while the funding agreements are issued directly to states in support of state sponsored 529 college savings and scholarship plans. The SAGIC product is an unallocated, non-participating deposit type contract in the separate account and is designed as an investment vehicle offered to trustees and/or plan sponsors of stable value funds. TC Life’s individual products are available to the general public; however, it markets primarily to the individuals who own retirement annuities or insurance policies issued by TC Life’s parent, TIAA. TC Life also distributes life insurance and annuity products through third party channels including M Financial Group (“M Financial”) and registered investment advisors.

During the fourth quarter of 2011, TC Life and M Financial announced an exclusive agreement to offer TC Life’s life insurance products to M Financial’s member firms and their clients. M Financial Group is owned by approximately 140 member firms in 37 states, Canada and the United Kingdom, and is comprised of several entities, including the parent company, which serves as a general insurance marketing entity, two broker-dealers, an investment advisor, a reinsurance company, and four proprietary mutual funds. The 140 M Financial member firms include approximately 700 individual insurance producers who have been appointed as TC Life’s independent agents.

TC Life also distributes life insurance and annuity products within an external registered investment advisor channel. These are supported external advisors that use TC Life for life insurance and annuity solutions.

TIAA provides retirement annuities and insurance coverage to more than five million active and retired individuals participating at more than 16,000 educational, research and cultural institutions, as well as other nonprofit organizations and certain governmental entities across the United States.

The majority of the services required for TC Life’s business operations are provided by TIAA and certain of its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries pursuant to various service, investment management, administrative, and selling and distribution agreements. Under these agreements, TC Life reimburses TIAA (and TIAA reimburses its applicable subsidiaries) for certain costs associated with providing these services. TC Life believes such services meet operational needs and minimize the duplication of costs among TIAA and its subsidiaries. TC Life does not currently have any employees.

Financial Highlights

For 2014, TC Life recognized a net loss of $17.5 million compared to $29.3 million net loss for 2013. In 2014, the net loss was driven by a net increase of $204.6 million in total benefits and expenses partially offset by a net increase in total premiums and other considerations of $195.7 million, an increase of $11.9 million in net investment income, an increase in ceded reserve adjustments of $0.8 million, and an increase of $5.2 million in other revenue. The decrease in net loss for 2014 primarily was the result of no additional asset adequacy reserves required for 2014. In addition, 2014 had net realized capital gains of $3.0 million compared to none in 2013. At December 31, 2014, total assets were $9,831.8 million, and statutory capital and surplus was $354.6 million.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		38

TC Life’s Segments

TC Life provides financial services through the production, sale, distribution, and administration of individual annuities, life insurance, funding agreements, and SAGIC. TC Life operates these business segments, distinguished by broad product categories and each having a strategic focus. Premiums and deposits by segment for 2014 and 2013 are set forth in the following table (in millions):


	For the years ended December 31,
Segment	2014		2013		2012
Individual Annuities	$	340.1	$	223.0	$	172.8
Life Insurance		337.4		258.8		112.1
Total premiums	$	677.5	$	481.8	$	284.9

Funding Agreements*	$	733.6	$	567.6	$	716.0
SAGIC*	$	823.7	$	1,540.0	$	725.0
Total deposits received	$	1,557.3	$	2,107.6	$	1,441.0

*	The deposits received on funding agreements and SAGIC are recorded as liabilities and are not treated as premiums or as revenue under statutory accounting principles. These liabilities are included in Reserves for Life and Health, Annuities and Deposit-type Contracts.

Individual Annuities. TC Life markets a variety of individual after-tax annuity products. Its annuity products are distributed through captive agents appointed by TC Life. Those agents selling variable annuities and/or modified guaranteed annuities are also registered representatives of TC Life’s affiliated broker-dealers. TC Life’s strategy is to include distribution through fee-based advisor channels, third party, and other strategic relationships. TC Life offers both flexible premium deferred annuities and single premium immediate annuities.

TC Life’s variable annuities offer contract owners the opportunity to invest in various investment subaccounts of TC Life’s separate accounts, based on the contract owners’ investment allocation decisions, while some of the variable annuities also offer a fixed account option through TC Life’s general account, which guarantees principal and a minimum interest rate. The separate accounts that support TC Life’s variable annuities are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as unit investment trusts, and their assets are invested in corresponding portfolios of the TIAA-CREF Life Funds or in other, non-proprietary funds. The variable annuities do not offer any living benefit riders. TC Life is, therefore, not exposed to the liabilities associated with such living benefit riders.

Due to the low yield on money market funds, investors continued to look for alternative investment options. Although no longer available for new sales, investors who owned TC Life’s Personal Annuity Select (“PAS”) products continued to contribute premiums, however there was a decline of 28% to $38.0 million in 2014 when compared to $52.6 million in 2013. The main factors to this decline are aging policy holders and a continued low interest rate environment.

In addition, Intelligent Variable Annuity (“IVA”) and Investment Horizon Annuity (“IHA”) are two deferred annuity products which complement each other to meet contract owners’ risk profiles and to provide contract owners with a variety of variable annuity investment subaccount options and fixed term deposits.

The IVA facilitates an individual’s overall portfolio asset diversification offering over 50 investment choices that include 10 proprietary TIAA-CREF Life funds and more than 40 non-proprietary funds. IVA will be added a TC Life balanced account to its proprietary choices in early 2014. The IVA experienced continued growth resulting in premiums of $284.8 million during 2014 compared to $153.8 million in 2013, an increase of 85.2%. TC Life believes increased investment options and favorable equity market returns are the primary contributors to the growth in this product.

The IHA is designed to offer guaranteed periods from 1 to 10 years and guarantees principal and a stated interest rate if not withdrawn before the maturity date. The interest rate for each guaranteed period is based


		39		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

upon current interest rates. It allows investors to use a “laddered” approach for fixed investing. Since November 1, 2012, the 1 through 5 year durations of the IHA have not been available for investment due to the continued low interest rate environment. However, some rise in interest rates allowed for the reopening of the 5 year duration in August 2013 but there has been little interest on the part of investors to lock in interest rates at the offered rate for 5 years or more. Even though the IHA product experienced an increase in premiums from $0.4 million in 2013 to $0.6 million in 2014, this does not necessarily indicate that investors are moving toward fixed rate products. The continuation of a low interest rate environment is still the primary reason for a minimal demand.

Additionally, TC Life markets a single premium immediate annuity which complements the deferred annuities and provides immediate income benefits. In 2014, TC Life issued 25 such contracts with premiums of approximately $4.2 million. The investment choices include a fixed account as well as eight TIAA-CREF Life funds.

Life Insurance. TC Life distributes and sells term life insurance, universal life insurance, and variable universal life insurance products through captive agents appointed by TC Life, and for certain products, through third party agents. Those captive agents selling variable insurance products are also registered representatives of TC Life’s affiliated broker-dealers. The primary marketing efforts for term life insurance products involve direct mail and an Internet web site which is designed to direct potential policyholders to a call center staffed by licensed agents. Assets associated with variable universal life insurance policies are held in various investment subaccounts of a separate account, based on policyholders’ investment allocation decisions. The separate account is registered with the SEC as a unit investment trust and its assets are invested in the corresponding portfolios of the TIAA-CREF Life Funds or in other non-proprietary funds.

Life insurance premiums increased $78.6 million to $337.4 million in 2014 from $258.8 million in 2013. This positive variance was primarily due to an increase in universal life premiums of $73.9 million.

In 2012, TC Life and M Financial introduced two new variable universal life products and one new fixed universal life product designed for high net worth clients that are marketed exclusively through M Financial and its affiliated licensed producers. In 2013, TC Life and M Financial added fixed and variable survivorship products under this agreement and also added a term life insurance product.

Funding Agreements. TC Life’s Funding Agreements segment focuses primarily on providing non-participating flexible premium funding agreements issued from the general account to support education-related investment and/or savings programs sponsored by various states. Several states sponsor a 529 college savings plan (named after Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code), and each plan is a tax-advantaged investment and savings program designed to encourage account owners to save for the future higher education expenses of a designated beneficiary. Some states offer a guaranteed option to those investing in the state’s college savings plan. TC Life provides funding agreements to certain states to support their guaranteed option, which guarantees a return of account owners’ principal, with interest. TC Life also makes available a funding agreement to any state that provides a state scholarship program for those seeking higher education.

TC Life currently has funding agreements with eleven states including California, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin. There were 46 funding agreements in these eleven states that have current state 529 college savings plans, and a funding agreement for the California scholarship program, that receives no new funds but is covered under a separate management agreement that runs until mid-2015.

Separate Account Guaranteed Interest Contracts. TC Life issued its first SAGIC contract in 2012. The contracts are generally issued to the trustees of stable value funds (commingled and custom single client funds) and represent one of the funding vehicles of such funds. The contracts may also be issued directly to defined contribution plan sponsors (or the trustee for the plan) in order to be used as a funding vehicle for the stable value option offered to the plan’s participants. Deposits on the SAGIC product decreased $725 million to $823.7 million in 2014, and from $1,540 million in 2013.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		40

KNOWN TRENDS AND UNCERTAINTIES

The various trends that could impact TC Life’s future results of operations and financial condition include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, including the interest rate environment and equity market returns, changes in those general economic conditions, and changes in life expectancy trends, which could impact the Individual Annuity and Life Insurance businesses. TC Life’s future business results could also be affected by the following uncertainties:

•

TC Life operates in a mature, highly competitive industry that could limit the ability to gain or maintain a competitive position in the industry, which could negatively affect future profitability.

•

Substantial regulation of the insurance and annuity industry may adversely affect TC Life’s business.

•

Future changes in laws and regulation, including the tax treatment of the products TC Life sells, may adversely affect TC Life’s business.

•

A downgrade in TC Life’s ratings or TIAA’s ratings from the nationally recognized ratings agencies could materially and adversely affect many aspects of TC Life’s business.

•

TC Life’s operating results may be negatively affected in the future if actual experience differs from the assumptions and estimates that management used in underwriting and distributing products.

•

TC Life’s ability to maintain a competitive cost structure is dependent upon generating a sufficient level of sales and achieving projected persistency of existing business.

•

Interest rate fluctuations and market volatility may affect sales of products and the profitability of TC Life’s businesses.

•

Equity market volatility and downturns in the equity markets could negatively impact TC Life’s business.

•

TC Life’s investments are subject to market and credit risks.

•

TC Life could be forced to sell investments at a loss to pay contract benefits or cover contract owner withdrawals.

•

TC Life is dependent on the performance of others.

•

TC Life’s reinsurers could fail to meet assumed obligations, significantly increase their reinsurance rates, or be subject to adverse developments that could adversely affect TC Life’s business, its operating results or its organizational reputation.

•

Financial services companies are sometimes the targets of litigation, including class action litigation, which could result in substantial judgments. Although TC Life is not currently involved in any significant litigation, there can be no assurance that material litigation will not arise in the future.

•

TC Life’s computer systems (or those of TC Life’s service providers) may fail or their security may be compromised, which could damage TC Life’s business and adversely affect the financial condition and results of operations.

•

TC Life is exposed to unanticipated risks, such as natural disasters, pandemics, and malicious or terrorist acts, which could adversely affect operations.

•

TC Life may be exposed to risks in the future that it has not yet identified or that it does not currently consider being material risks.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

TC Life’s accounting policies require management to make interpretative and valuation judgments and to make estimates based on assumptions that affect the amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses reported in its statutory-basis financial statements. Because the use of assumptions and estimates inherently entails


		41		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

uncertainty, the effects of accounting policies under different conditions could produce results that are significantly different. Additionally, actual amounts may differ from TC Life’s estimates. A discussion of the statutory-basis of presentation and the business factors that affect critical accounting policies is presented below.

Basis of Presentation

TC Life’s statutory-basis financial statements have been prepared on the basis of statutory accounting principles (“SAP”) prescribed or permitted by the New York State Department of Financial Services (the “Department”), a comprehensive basis of accounting that differs from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). The Department requires insurance companies domiciled in the State of New York to prepare their statutory-basis financial statements in accordance with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual (“NAIC SAP”), subject to any deviation prescribed or permitted by the Department (“New York SAP”).

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) dictates the accounting principles for financial statements that are prepared in conformity with GAAP with applicable authoritative accounting pronouncements. As a result, TC Life cannot refer to financial statements prepared in accordance with NAIC SAP and New York SAP as having been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The effects of the differences between GAAP and NAIC SAP, while not determined, are presumed to have a material effect on TC Life’s statutory-basis financial statements, and the primary differences are summarized in the Notes to TC Life’s Statutory-Basis Financial Statements.

Reclassifications. A reclassification of a prior year amount for amounts payable on reinsurance was made in the Statements of Admitted Assets, Liabilities and Capital and Surplus to conform to the 2014 presentation. The misclassification did not affect net income or surplus previously reported. Management concluded that the misclassification is not material to the previously issued financial statements.

Accounting for Investments

Because of the types of products that are issued from the general account, TC Life primarily invests in fixed income investments; the general account investment portfolio consists of bonds, preferred stocks, common stocks, cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and other long-term investments. In accordance with NAIC SAP, the majority of TC Life’s invested assets are carried at amortized cost and, therefore, the investment balances do not reflect the investments’ current fair values. At December 31, 2014, $4,744.0 million of the general account’s invested assets was invested in bonds. Other invested asset categories included preferred stock, common stocks, cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, contract loans, and other long-term investments. The overall general account portfolio quality was very high at December 31, 2014, with approximately 98.4% of TC Life’s bond portfolio classified as investment grade (NAIC 1 or 2 rated securities).

The selection and management of the general account investment portfolio reflect the asset/liability analyses that TC Life performs for the various business segments and the specific products that are issued. TC Life’s investment objective is to earn attractive rates of return within reasonable risk parameters while maintaining a prudently diversified portfolio. As a result of the kinds of investments that TC Life makes, the investment portfolio is primarily exposed to credit risk and interest rate risk. To manage risks, TC Life’s Board of Directors establishes investment limits that are followed in constructing the investment portfolio; some of these limits identify maximum investment amounts by individual investment and by issuer, based on the credit quality of the issuers. TC Life also utilizes a risk management department that is independent of the investment management function to monitor the risk exposures that are represented in the investment portfolio. TC Life utilizes a formal investment impairment review process that is performed for the entire portfolio at least once each quarter. The investment impairment review process is co-led by the finance and valuation departments, which are also both independent of the investment management function.

Because TC Life’s invested assets comprise such a large percentage of total assets, and because the performance of the investment portfolio has such a dramatic effect on overall performance, the accounting


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		42

policies which guide the valuation of TC Life’s investments represent some of its most critical accounting policies. Because TC Life prepares statutory-basis financial statements, it follows the investment valuation requirements promulgated by the NAIC, but the application of statutory accounting principles still requires management to make interpretive and valuation judgments.

TC Life’s bond portfolio consists primarily of high quality publicly-traded corporate debt securities and government securities. A significant portion of TC Life’s portfolio is invested in high quality, publicly-traded bonds to maintain and manage liquidity and to reduce the risk of credit default in the portfolio. TC Life does, however, also make investments in private placement bonds to increase portfolio diversification and to obtain higher yields than can be earned by investing in comparable quality, publicly-traded securities. To control risk when utilizing privately-placed securities, TC Life relies upon broader access to management information, stronger (negotiated) protective covenants, call protection features, and a higher level of collateralization than can customarily be achieved in the public market.

Included within bonds are loan-backed and structured securities. Estimated future cash flows and expected prepayment speeds are used to determine the amortization of loan-backed and structured securities under the prospective method. Changes in future cash flows and expected prepayment speeds are evaluated quarterly. Certain loan-backed and structured securities are reported at the lower of cost or fair value as a result of the NAIC modeling process.

If it is determined that a decline in the fair value of a bond, excluding loan-backed and structured securities, is other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the bond is written down to fair value as the new cost basis and the amount of the write down is accounted for as a realized loss. The new cost basis is not changed for subsequent recoveries in fair value. Declines in fair value which are determined to be other-than-temporary are recorded as realized losses.

For loan-backed and structured securities, when an other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) has occurred because TC Life does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security even with the intent and ability to hold, the amount of the OTTI recognized as a realized loss is the difference between the security’s amortized cost basis and the present value of cash flows expected to be collected, discounted at the loan-backed or structured security’s effective interest rate.

For loan-backed and structured securities, when an OTTI has occurred because TC Life intends to sell the security or does not have the intent and ability to retain the security for a period of time sufficient to recover the amortized cost basis, the amount of the OTTI realized is the difference between the security’s amortized cost basis and fair value at the balance sheet date.

In periods subsequent to the recognition of an OTTI for a loan-backed or structured security, TC Life accounts for the other-than-temporarily impaired security as if the security had been purchased on the measurement date of the impairment. The difference between the new amortized cost basis and the cash flows expected to be collected is accreted as interest income in future periods based on prospective changes in cash flow estimates.

The fair values for publicly traded long term bond investments were generally determined using prices provided by third party pricing services or valuations from the NAIC. For privately placed long term bond investments without readily ascertainable market value, such values were determined using information from independent pricing services including discounted cash flow methodologies based on coupon rates, maturity provisions, and credit assumptions.

TC Life’s preferred stock portfolio consisted of two publicly-traded securities for $182 thousand of which 100.0% was designated as below investment grade at the end of 2014.

The NAIC Securities Valuation Office (“SVO”) rates investment credit risk of bonds and preferred stocks based upon the issuer’s credit quality. NAIC ratings designations range from 1 through 6. An NAIC designation of 1 denotes obligations of the highest quality in which credit risk is at its lowest and the issuer’s


		43		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

credit profile is stable; an NAIC designation of 6 is assigned to obligations that are in, or near, default. Classes 1 and 2 are considered to be investment grade and Classes 3 through 6 are non-investment grade. The vast majority of TC Life’s bonds, including privately-placed securities, are investment grade.

Common stocks of unaffiliated companies are stated at fair value, which is based on quoted market prices, where available. Changes in fair value are recorded through surplus. For common stocks without quoted market prices, fair value is estimated using independent pricing services or internally developed pricing models. When it is determined that a decline in fair value of an investment is other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the investment is reduced to its fair value and the amount of the reduction is accounted for as a realized loss.

All investments are subjected to TC Life’s investment impairment process, which is performed at least quarterly. TC Life may perform investment impairment monitoring and analysis procedures more frequently, including during periods of market turmoil. Management considers evidence to evaluate the potential impairment of its investments. The investment quarterly impairment review process utilizes, but is not limited to, a screening process based on the fair values of the investments. Management considers a wide range of factors in the impairment review process, including, but not limited to, the following:

(a)

The extent to which and the length of time the fair value has been below TC Life’s amortized cost basis.

(b)

The financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer.

(c)

Whether the issuer is current on contractually-obligated interest and principal payments.

(d)

TC Life’s ability and intent to retain the investment for a sufficient period of time to allow for a recovery in its fair value or for the investment to be repaid.

(e)

Information obtained from regulators and ratings agencies.

(f)

The potential for impairments in an industry sector or sub-sector.

(g)

The potential for impairments in economically-depressed geographic regions.

(h)

The potential for impairment based on an estimated discounted cash flow analysis for structured and loan-backed securities.

All securities are subjected to TC Life’s process for identifying OTTI. TC Life writes down securities that it deems to have an other-than-temporary impairment in value in the period that the securities are deemed to be impaired, based on management’s case-by-case evaluation of the decline in value and prospects for recovery. Where impairment is considered to be other-than-temporary, TC Life recognizes a write-down as a realized loss and adjusts the cost basis of the security accordingly. TC Life does not change the revised cost basis for subsequent recoveries in value. Once an impairment write-down has been recorded, TC Life continues to review the impaired security for appropriate valuation on an ongoing basis.

Preferred stocks are stated at amortized cost unless they have an NAIC rating designation of 4, 5 or 6, which are stated at the lower of amortized cost or fair value. The fair value of preferred stocks uses prices provided by third party pricing services or valuations from the NAIC.

Other Critical Accounting Policies

Non-admitted Assets. TC Life’s non-admitted assets include deferred premiums and deferred federal income tax (“DFIT”) assets. The portion of deferred premiums asset non-admitted is calculated based on a pro-rata share of reinsurance reserve credit on the underlying policies. The DFIT asset admittance is calculated under a structured formula in accordance with New York SAP. All changes in non-admitted assets are charged or credited directly to surplus and are not recorded in the statement of operations.

Policy and Contract Reserves. Policy and contract reserves are determined in accordance with standard valuation methods approved by the Department and are computed in accordance with standard actuarial formulae. The reserves established utilize assumptions for interest rates (ranging from 3.50% to 6.75% and


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		44

averaging approximately 3.77%), mortality, and other insured risks. Such reserves are designed to be sufficient for all contractual benefits guaranteed under policy and contract provisions. These reserves reflect both management’s assumptions, which must be in line with the Department’s requirements, and the activity that has occurred in relation to the policies and contracts in-force (e.g., new issues, lapses, surrenders, etc.). The period-to-period changes in these reserves directly increase or decrease TC Life’s results of operations.

Reserves for deposit-type funds, which do not contain life contingencies, are equal to the sum of the deposits received and the interest credited to the benefit of contract holders, less withdrawals that represent a return to the contract holder. These reserves do not entail significant management judgment, and other than the interest credited to these contracts; the changes in these reserves do not affect TC Life’s results of operations.

Reinsurance. TC Life uses reinsurance to manage risk by ceding (i.e., transferring) some of its life insurance reserve liabilities to other insurance and reinsurance companies. This includes yearly renewable term, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance agreements. When TC Life enters into a reinsurance contract with another insurance or reinsurance company, it will retain liability with respect to ceded insurance should the reinsurer fail to meet its obligations. As a result, TC Life evaluates the financial stability of an insurance or reinsurance company before it enters into a reinsurance contract, which is often long-term in nature. The financial stability of an insurance or reinsurance company is re-evaluated annually and monitored quarterly by TC Life’s Risk Management Department. TC Life’s maximum retention is $1.5 million for one insured life and $2.5 million for two insured lives for contracts issued prior to June 27, 2006, and $5.0 million for one insured life and $9.0 million for two insured lives for contracts issued on or after June 27, 2006. For contracts issued after May 1, 2012, the maximum retention is $15.0 million on one insured life and $20.0 million for two insured lives. The maximum retention is less for certain issue ages and underwriting classifications.

Asset Valuation Reserve. The Asset Valuation Reserve (“AVR”), which covers all invested asset classes, is a reserve required by NAIC SAP to provide for potential future credit and equity losses related to TC Life’s investment portfolio. Reserve components of the AVR are maintained for each of TC Life’s asset classes. Realized and unrealized credit and equity capital gains and losses, net of capital gains taxes, are credited to or charged against the related components of the AVR. Statutory formulae determine the required reserve components, and the formulae are primarily based on NAIC determined factors applied to asset classes. Insurance companies may also establish additional reserves for any AVR component, at management’s discretion; however, the ultimate balance cannot exceed the statutory maximum reserve for that component. The AVR balance for December 31, 2014 was increased by $9.4 million to $27.3 million as a result of $6.5 million in reserve contributions and formulaic adjustments along with $2.9 million of net realized and unrealized capital gains. The net change in the AVR is reported as a change in surplus in TC Life’s Statutory-Basis Statements of Changes in Capital and Surplus. The net realized capital gains and losses that are credited to or charged against the AVR are also a component of the Statutory-Basis Statements of Operations.

Interest Maintenance Reserve. The Interest Maintenance Reserve (“IMR”) is a formulaic reserve required by NAIC SAP, which accumulates realized interest rate-related capital gains and losses, as defined by NAIC SAP, on sales of fixed income investments. Such capital gains and losses are recognized as a liability and are amortized under the grouped method of amortization, as an adjustment to net investment income over the remaining lives of the assets sold.

Separate Account Assets and Liabilities. Separate accounts are established in conformity with insurance laws, and the separate account assets are segregated from TC Life’s general account. Separate accounts are generally maintained for the benefit of separate account holders. Seed money investments that remain in the separate accounts are included in separate account assets.

Income Taxes. A consolidated federal income tax return is filed with TC Life’s parent, TIAA, and its affiliates. The consolidated group has entered into a tax-sharing agreement that follows the current reimbursement method, whereby members of the group will generally be reimbursed for their net operating losses or other tax attributes they have generated when utilized in the consolidated return, subject to the limitations imposed under the Internal Revenue Code.


		45		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

The consolidated group is subject to the domestic federal statutory rate of 35%. TC Life’s effective federal tax rates for the periods presented differ from the statutory rate based on adjustments from statutory to tax basis reporting. NAIC SAP No. 101 – Income Taxes, A Replacement of SAP No. 10R and SAP No. 10, became effective January 1, 2012 as the statutory accounting principle used to determine and record TC Life’s current and deferred income taxes. The recognition of the DFIT asset as an admitted asset is subject to a limitation of the lesser of 15% of adjusted statutory capital and surplus or the amount that will be realized within the next three years. The deferred federal income tax assets that are greater than the statutory limits are deemed non-admitted and are therefore not recognized under statutory reporting.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Year Ended December 31, 2014, Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2013

The following table sets forth TC Life’s statutory-basis statements of operations for the periods indicated (in millions, except percentages):


	For the years ended December 31,
							Increase/(decrease)
	2014			2013			$			%
REVENUES
Individual annuity premiums and other considerations	$	340.1		$	223.0		$	117.1			52.5	%
Life insurance premiums		337.4			258.8			78.6			30.4	%
Total premiums and other considerations		677.5			481.8			195.7			40.6	%
Net investment income		162.3			150.3			12.0			8.0	%
Commissions and expense allowances on reinsurance ceded		29.6			29.6			—			—	%
Reserve adjustments on reinsurance ceded		59.1			58.6			0.5			0.9	%
Other revenue		21.8			16.6			5.2			31.3	%
TOTAL REVENUES		950.3			736.9			213.4			29.0	%

EXPENSES
Policy and contract benefits		181.6			118.2			63.4			53.6	%
Increase in policy and contract reserves		349.4			320.0			29.4			9.2	%
Insurance expenses and taxes (excluding Federal income taxes)		127.9			110.3			17.6			16.0	%
Commissions on premiums		34.9			31.8			3.1			9.7	%
Interest on deposit-type contracts		25.6			26.8			(1.2	)		(4.5	%)
Net transfers to separate accounts		227.6			143.2			84.4			58.9	%
Other benefits and expenses, net		16.9			9.0			7.9			87.8	%
TOTAL BENEFITS AND EXPENSES		963.9			759.3			204.6			26.9	%
(Loss) before federal income taxes and net realized capital losses		(13.6	)		(22.4	)		8.8			39.3	%
Federal income tax expense		6.9			6.9			—			—	%
Net realized capital gains (losses), net of taxes and after transfers to the interest maintenance reserve		3.0			—			3.0			N/A
NET (LOSS)	$	(17.5	)	$	(29.3	)	$	11.8			40.3	%

Total Premiums and Other Considerations. Total premiums and other considerations totaled $677.5 million for 2014 compared to $481.8 million for 2013, an increase of $195.7 million, or 40.6%.

During the period ended December 31, 2014, premiums and other considerations on the total individual annuity line of business increased $117.1 million, or 52.5%, compared to the prior year period. This increase in premiums and other considerations was primarily due to increases in the Intelligent Variable Annuity (IVA), Lifetime Variable Select (LVS), Investment Horizon Annuity (IHA), and Single Premium Immediate Annuity (SPIA-Fixed) products of $131.1 million, $0.5 million, $0.3 million, and $2.0 million respectively, partially offset by decreases in the Personal Annuity Select (PAS) and Single Premium Immediate Annuity (SPIA-


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		46

Variable) products of $15.9 million and $0.8 million respectively. The IVA product included $23.2 million during the period for internal 1035 exchanges by one participant.

Life insurance premiums increased $78.6 million in 2014 compared to 2013. This increase in life insurance premiums was primarily attributable to an increase of $73.9 million in universal life premiums.

Net Investment Income. Net investment income includes gross earnings on investments, investment expenses, and amortization of capital gains and losses from the interest maintenance reserve. Net investment income totaled $162.3 million for 2014 compared to $150.3 million for 2013, an increase of $12.0 million, or 8.0%. This increase in net investment income was primarily driven by an increase in the average invested asset balance of approximately $553.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 versus December 31, 2013. This increase was partially offset by a decrease of approximately 17 basis points in the earned rates combined with an increase in investment expenses for 2014 compared to 2013.

The individual components of net investment income are presented in the table below (in millions, except percentages):


	For the years ended December 31,
							Increase/(decrease)
	2014			2013			$			%
Bonds	$	163.9		$	151.3		$	12.6			8.3	%
Preferred stocks		0.2			0.1			0.1			100.0	%
Mortgages		—			—			—			N/A
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments		—			—			—			N/A
Other long term investments		1.4			1.2			0.2			16.7	%
TOTAL GROSS INVESTMENT INCOME		165.5			152.6			12.9			8.5	%
Less investment expenses		(4.4	)		(3.8	)		(0.6	)		(15.0	%)
Net investment income before amortization of net interest maintenance reserve gains		161.1			148.8			12.3			8.3	%
Amortization of net interest maintenance reserve gains		1.2			1.5			(0.3	)		(20.0	%)
TOTAL NET INVESTMENT INCOME	$	162.3		$	150.3		$	12.0			8.0	%

*	Commissions and Expense Allowances on Reinsurance Ceded. Commissions and expense allowances on reinsurance ceded remained at $29.6 million for 2014 with no change from 2013.

Reserve Adjustments on Reinsurance Ceded. Reserve adjustments on reinsurance ceded increased minimally to $59.1 for December 31, 2014 compared to the prior year of $58.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Other Revenue. Other revenue totaled $21.8 million for 2014 compared to $16.6 million for 2013, an increase of $5.2 million, or 31.3%. The increase was primarily due to an increase in Separate Account fee income of $5.9 million, partially offset by a decrease in Net gain from operations from Separate Account of $0.8 million.

Policy and Contract Benefits. Policy and contract benefits totaled $181.6 million for 2014 compared to $118.2 million for 2013, an increase of $63.4 million, or 53.6%. This increase was primarily due to an increase of $15.2 million in benefits and $48.3 million in surrenders.

Increase in Policy and Contract Reserves. Increase in policy and contract reserves increased to $349.4 million during 2014 compared to $320.0 million during 2013. The increase in reserves of $349.4 million was primarily composed of increases for individual life insurance lines of business of $362.8 million partially offset by decreases in individual annuities lines of business of $13.4 million.

Insurance Expenses and Taxes (excluding federal income taxes). Insurance expenses and taxes (excluding federal income and capital gain taxes) increased to $127.9 million during 2014 compared to $110.3 million during 2013. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in expenses related to continued business growth, marketing, and distribution.


		47		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

Commissions on Premiums. Commissions on premiums increased to $34.9 million during 2014 compared to $31.8 million during 2013. The commissions of $34.9 million were composed of activity for fixed universal, variable universal, and term life products of $18.8 million, $14.3 million, and $1.8 million, respectively. The increase was driven by an increase in commissions related to continued growth on universal and traditional life products that are marketed exclusively through M Financial and its affiliated licensed producers.

Interest on Deposit-type Contracts. Interest on deposit-type contracts decreased to $25.6 million during 2014 compared to $26.8 million during 2013. The decrease was driven by an increase in average assets on deposit that was more than offset by a decline in the average credited rates; primarily on the guaranteed funding agreements with the various 529 college savings plans.

Net Transfers to Separate Accounts. Net transfers to the separate accounts were $227.6 million for 2014 compared to $143.2 million for 2013. The year-over-year increase was primarily the result of discretionary contract-holder activity.

Federal Income Tax Expense. For 2014, current federal income tax expense was $6.9 million resulting in an effective tax rate of -50.4% compared to the statutory tax rate of 35%. The difference between the effective rate and the statutory rate is the result of taxable income of $20.2 million as compared to a pre-tax statutory loss before federal income taxes and net realized capital losses of $13.6 million. Driving the difference between taxable income and pre-tax statutory income were $33.8 million of statutory-to-tax differences, primarily relating to adjustments for reserves and deferred acquisitions costs.

Net Realized Capital Losses. The net realized capital gain increased by $3.0 million for 2014. The Net Realized Capital gain of $3.0 million for the period ended December 31, 2014 was primarily driven by net gains from sales of long term bonds during the period of $4.7 million reduced for transfers to IMR and Taxes of $1.7 million.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		48

Year Ended December 31, 2013, Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2012

The following table sets forth TC Life’s statutory-basis statements of operations for the periods indicated (in millions, except percentages):


	For the years ended December 31,
							Increase/(decrease)
	2013			2012			$			%
REVENUES
Individual annuity premiums and other considerations	$	223.0		$	172.8		$	50.2			29.1	%
Life insurance premiums		258.8			112.1			146.7			130.9	%
Total premiums and other considerations		481.8			284.9			196.9			69.1	%
Net investment income		150.3			147.7			2.6			1.8	%
Commissions and expense allowances on reinsurance ceded		29.6			12.7			16.9			133.1	%
Reserve adjustments on reinsurance ceded		58.6			9.8			48.8			498.0	%
Other revenue		16.6			9.5			7.1			74.7	%
TOTAL REVENUES		736.9			464.6			272.3			58.6	%

EXPENSES
Policy and contract benefits		118.2			131.7			(13.5	)		(10.3	%)
Increase in policy and contract reserves		320.0			128.5			191.5			149.0	%
Insurance expenses and taxes (excluding Federal income taxes)		110.3			83.0			27.3			32.9	%
Commissions on premiums		31.8			5.4			26.4			488.9	%
Interest on deposit-type contracts		26.8			26.4			0.4			1.5	%
Net transfers to separate accounts		143.2			58.0			85.2			146.9	%
Other benefits and expenses, net		9.0			9.9			(0.9	)		(9.1	%)
TOTAL BENEFITS AND EXPENSES		759.3			442.9			316.4			71.4	%
(Loss) income before federal income taxes and net realized capital losses		(22.4	)		21.7			(44.1	)		(203.2	%)
Federal income tax expense		6.9			1.2			5.7			475.0	%
Net realized capital gains (losses), net of taxes and after transfers to the interest maintenance reserve		—			(2.4	)		2.4			100.0	%
NET (LOSS) INCOME	$	(29.3	)	$	18.1		$	(47.4	)		(261.9	%)

Total Premiums and Other Considerations. Total premiums and other considerations totaled $481.8 million for 2013 compared to $284.9 million for 2012, an increase of $196.9 million, or 69.1%.

On a year-over-year basis, individual annuity premiums and other considerations increased $50.2 million, or 29.1%, in 2013. This increase in premiums and other considerations was primarily due to increases in the Intelligent Variable Annuity (IVA) products of $59.2 million, partially offset by decreases in the Personal Annuity Select (PAS), Single Premium (SPIA), Investment Horizon Annuity (IHA), Lifetime Variable Select (LVS) products, and Supplementary Contracts of $3.4 million, $2.4 million, $1.4 million, $1.3 million, and $0.5 million, respectively. The increases in the variable products appear to be driven by participant behavior in response to the overall increase in equity markets and the low interest rate environment. The IHA product was closed for new sales in the 1 through 5 year durations as a result of the low interest rate environment.

Life insurance premiums increased $146.7 million in 2013 compared to 2012. This increase in life insurance premiums was primarily attributable to an increase of $145.2 million in universal life premiums.


		49		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

balance of approximately $460.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 versus December 31, 2012. This increase was partially offset by a decrease of approximately 37 basis points in the earned rates combined with a decrease in amortization of IMR and an increase in investment expenses for 2013 compared to 2012.

The individual components of net investment income are presented in the table below (in millions, except percentages):


	For the years ended December 31,
							Increase/(decrease)
	2013			2012			$			%
Bonds	$	151.3		$	145.9		$	5.4			3.7	%
Preferred stocks		0.1			0.4			(0.3	)		(75.0	%)
Mortgages		—			0.5			(0.5	)		(100.0	%)
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments		—			0.4			(0.4	)		(100.0	%)
Other long term investments		1.2			1.0			0.2			20.0	%
TOTAL GROSS INVESTMENT INCOME		152.6			148.2			4.4			3.0	%
Less investment expenses		(3.8	)		(2.8	)		(1.0	)		(35.7	%)
Net investment income before amortization of net interest maintenance reserve gains		148.8			145.4			3.4			2.3	%
Amortization of net interest maintenance reserve gains		1.5			2.3			(0.8	)		(34.8	%)
TOTAL NET INVESTMENT INCOME	$	150.3		$	147.7		$	2.6			1.8	%

*	Derivative instruments are included in other liabilities.

Commissions and Expense Allowances on Reinsurance Ceded. Commissions and expense allowances on reinsurance ceded totaled $29.6 million for 2013 compared to $12.7 million for 2012, an increase of $16.9 million, or 133.1%. This increase was primarily due to an increase in commissions on reinsurance ceded related to continued growth on traditional and universal life products that are marketed exclusively through M Financial and its affiliated licensed producers.

Reserve Adjustments on Reinsurance Ceded. Reserve adjustments on reinsurance ceded increased $48.8 million from $9.8 million for the prior year to $58.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 due to the growth in the fixed and variable universal life business distributed by M Financial. This reserve adjustment of $58.6 million reflects the change in the amount equal to the gross statutory reserves on the portion of policies reinsured on a modified coinsurance (“modco”) basis, net of interest credited on the modco reserves to the reinsurer. The change in modco reserves for fixed and variable universal life products of $37.4 million and $23.3 million, respectively, was partially offset by interest credited on modco reserves of $2.1 million.

Other Revenue. Other revenue totaled $16.6 million for 2013 compared to $9.5 million for 2012, an increase of $7.1 million, or 74.7%. The increase was primarily due to an increase in separate account fee income and net gain from operations from Separate Account of $5.9 million and $3.2 million, respectively, partially offset by surrender fees of $2.1 million for the withdrawal on the California plan in 2012 with no corresponding activity in 2013.

Policy and Contract Benefits. Policy and contract benefits totaled $118.2 million for 2013 compared to $131.7 million for 2012, a decrease of $13.5 million, or 10.3%. This increase was primarily due to a decrease of $3.3 million in benefits and $10.2 million in surrenders.

Increase in Policy and Contract Reserves. Increase in policy and contract reserves increased to $320.0 million during 2013 compared to $128.5 million during 2012. The increase in reserves of $320.0 million was primarily composed of increases for individual life insurance, individual annuity, and group life insurance products of $173.2 million, $48.0 million and $98.8 million, respectively. The increase was primarily driven by net premiums and interest credited on reserves, partially offset by policyholder benefit payments and transfers to separate accounts.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		50

Insurance Expenses and Taxes (excluding federal income taxes). Insurance expenses and taxes (excluding federal income taxes) increased to $110.3 million during 2013 compared to $83.0 million during 2012. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in expenses related to continued business growth, marketing, and distribution.

Commissions on Premiums. Commissions on premiums increased to $31.8 million during 2013 compared to $5.4 million during 2012. The commissions of $31.8 million were composed of activity for fixed universal, variable universal, and term life products of $17.0 million, $14.4 million, and $0.4 million, respectively. The increase was driven by an increase in commissions related to continued growth on universal and traditional life products that are marketed exclusively through M Financial and its affiliated licensed producers.

Interest on Deposit-type Contracts. Interest on deposit-type contracts increased to $26.8 million during 2013 compared to $26.4 million during 2012. The increase was driven by an increase in average assets on deposit, partially offset by a decline in the average credited rates, primarily on the guaranteed funding agreements with the various 529 college savings plans.

Net Transfers to Separate Accounts. Net transfers to the separate accounts were $143.2 million for 2013 compared to $58.0 million for 2012. The year-over-year increase was primarily the result of discretionary contract-holder activity.

Federal Income Tax Expense. For 2013, current federal income tax expense was $6.9 million resulting in an effective tax rate of -31.1% compared to the statutory tax rate of 35%. The difference between the effective rate and the statutory rate is the result of taxable income of $20.0 million as compared to a pre-tax statutory loss before federal income taxes and net realized capital losses of $22.4 million. Driving the difference between taxable income and pre-tax statutory income were $42.4 million of statutory-to-tax differences, primarily relating to adjustments for reserves and deferred acquisitions costs.

Net Realized Capital Losses. The net realized capital loss decreased by $2.4 million to virtually $0.0 million for 2013 from a loss of $2.4 million for 2012. The Net Realized Capital loss of $37 thousand for the period ended December 31, 2013 was primarily driven by net gains from sales of long term bonds during the period of $2.3 million reduced for transfers to IMR of $2.4 million.


		51		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

FINANCIAL CONDITION

The following table sets forth TC Life’s statutory-basis statements of admitted assets, liabilities, and capital and surplus (in millions, except percentages):


	December 31,					Increase/(decrease)
	2014			2013		$			%
ADMITTED ASSETS
Bonds	$	4,743.9		$	4,106.0	$	637.9			15.5	%
Preferred stocks		0.2			2.5		(2.3	)		(92.0	)
Common stocks		0.6			0.6		—			—
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments		90.5			114.9		(24.4	)		(21.2	)
Contract loans		16.1			10.5		5.6			53.3
Other long-term investments		10.8			12.8		(2.0	)		(15.6	)
Investment income due and accrued		43.3			39.0		4.3			11.0
Invested Assets		4,905.4			4,286.3		619.1			14.4
Federal Income tax recoverable from TIAA		0.1			—		0.1			N/A
Net deferred federal income tax asset		17.5			11.8		5.7			48.3
Other assets		56.9			53.9		3.0			5.6
Total general account assets		4,979.9			4,352.0		627.9			14.4
Separate account assets		4,851.9			3,668.7		1,183.2			32.3
TOTAL ADMITTED ASSETS	$	9,831.8		$	8,020.7	$	1,811.1			22.6	%

LIABILITIES
Reserves for life and health, annuities and deposit-type contracts	$	4,550.6		$	3,914.3	$	636.3			16.3	%
Asset valuation reserve		27.3			17.9		9.4			52.5
Interest maintenance reserve		7.0			7.8		(0.8	)		(10.3	)
Federal income tax payable to TIAA		—			2.5		(2.5	)		(100.0	)
Other amounts payable on reinsurance		28.6			32.1		(3.5	)		(10.9	)
Other liabilities		25.5			33.6		(8.1	)		(24.1	)
Total general account liabilities		4,639.0			4,008.2		630.8			15.7
Separate account liabilities		4,838.2			3,638.7		1,199.5			33.0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	$	9,477.2			7,646.9		1,830.3			23.9
CAPITAL AND SURPLUS
Capital (2,500 shares of $1,000 par value common stock issued and outstanding)		2.5			2.5		—			—
Additional paid-in capital		357.5			357.5		—			—
Surplus		(5.4	)		13.8		(19.2	)		(139.1	)
TOTAL CAPITAL AND SURPLUS		354.6			373.8		(19.2	)		(5.1	)
TOTAL LIABILITIES, CAPITAL AND SURPLUS	$	9,831.8		$	8,020.7	$	1,811.1			22.6	%

Admitted Assets

Total Admitted Assets. Total admitted assets of $9,831.8 million as of December 31, 2014, increased $1,811.2 million, or 22.6%, from $8,020.7 million as of December 31, 2013. Contributing to the increase of $1,811.2 million were increases in general account and separate account assets of $619.2 million and $1,183.2 million, respectively. The $619.2 million increase in the general account assets was primarily driven by ongoing growth in the term and fixed universal life insurance products and net deposits from the guaranteed funding agreements with the various 529 college savings plans. The $1,183.2 million increase in the separate account assets during 2014 was primarily driven by deposits on the SAGIC and Intelligent Variable Annuity products.

Bonds. As of December 31, 2014 bonds totaled $4,743.9 million compared to $4,106.0 million as of December 31, 2013 an increase of $637.9 million, or 15.5%. Bonds represented 96.7% of TC Life’s invested


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		52

asset portfolio, excluding investment income due and accrued, at December 31, 2014. The portfolio consisted of publicly traded bonds of $3,909.2 million and privately placed bonds of $834.5 million as of December 31, 2014. During 2014, write-downs on bonds resulting from impairments that are considered to be other-than-temporary were $0.1 million.

The following table sets forth TC Life’s bond portfolio by industry (in millions, except percentages):


	December 31, 2014					December 31, 2013
Industry Category	Carrying Value		% of Total			Carrying Value		% of Total
Manufacturing	$	1,163.3		24.5	%	$	968.4		23.6	%
Finance and financial services		731.6		15.4			679.5		16.5
Public utilities		581.4		12.3			505.9		12.3
Oil and gas		395.5		8.3			354.1		8.6
Residential mortgage-backed		367.2		7.7			267.0		6.5
U.S. and other governments		284.8		6.0			234.6		5.7
Mining		179.4		3.8			182.6		4.4
Transportation		277.8		5.9			170.6		4.2
Communication		184.5		3.9			162.7		4.0
Revenue and special obligations		131.9		2.8			112.5		2.7
Asset-backed securities		30.0		0.6			109.5		2.7
Services		152.1		3.2			107.8		2.6
Real estate invetment trusts		92.0		1.9			93.2		2.3
Commercial mortgage-backed		110.3		2.3			80.5		2.0
Retail and wholesale trade		55.7		1.2			77.1		1.9
Credit tenant loan		6.4		0.1			—		—
Total	$	4,743.9		100.0	%	$	4,106.0		100.0	%

The table below sets forth the NAIC Securities Valuation Office (“SVO”) credit quality ratings for TC Life’s bond portfolio (in millions, except percentages):


	December 31, 2014					December 31, 2013
NAIC Classes	Carrying Value		% of Total			Carrying Value		% of Total
1	$	3,030.9		63.8	%	$	2,519.5		61.3	%
2		1,639.4		34.6			1,521.4		37.1
Investment grade		4,670.3		98.4			4,040.9		98.4
3		60.3		1.3			61.8		1.5
4		13.1		0.3			—		—
5		0.2		—			3.3		0.1
6		—		—			—		—
Below investment grade		73.6		1.6			65.1		1.6
Total	$	4,743.9		100.0	%	$	4,106.0		100.0	%


		53		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

The table below sets forth TC Life’s bond portfolio statutory carrying values and estimated fair values by contractual maturity (in millions, except percentages):


	December 31, 2014							December 31, 2013
	Carrying Value		% of Total			Estimated Fair Value		Carrying Value		% of Total			Estimated Fair Value
Due in one year or less	$	274.9		5.8	%	$	277.8	$	355.3		8.7	%	$	359.9
Due after one year through five years		1,419.9		29.9			1,441.4		1,354.2		33.0			1,378.9
Due after five years through ten years		1,224.3		25.8			1,262.7		1,002.3		24.4			1,003.6
Due after ten years		1,302.8		27.5			1,437.8		937.2		22.8			951.9
Subtotal		4,221.9		89.0			4,419.7		3,649.0		88.9			3,694.3
Residential mortgage-backed securities		293.2		6.2			302.7		267.0		6.5			276.3
Commercial mortgage-backed securities		113.7		2.4			117.3		80.5		1.9			80.9
Asset-backed securities		115.1		2.4			119.2		109.5		2.7			112.3
Subtotal		522.0		11.0			539.2		457.0		11.1			469.5
Total	$	4,743.9		100.0	%	$	4,958.9	$	4,106.0		100.0	%	$	4,163.8

Bonds, not due at a single maturity date have been included in the preceding table based on the year of final maturity. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to prepay obligations, although prepayment premiums may be applicable. Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are shown separately in the table above, as they are not due at a single maturity date.

TC Life uses third party pricing vendors and, to a lesser extent, broker quotes in determining the fair value of its loan-backed and structured securities. Bonds in the portfolio are priced individually.

Prepayment assumptions for loan-backed and structured securities are based on historical averages drawing from the experience for a particular transaction and vary by security type and vintage.

Preferred Stock. The Preferred Stock portfolio declined by $2.3 million from a balance of $2.5 million at December 31, 2013, which results in a December 31, 2014 ending balance of $0.2 million. As of December 31, 2014, the preferred stock portfolio was classified as below investment grade and 100.0% of the portfolio was comprised of publicly traded securities.

Common Stock. The Common Stock portfolio remained at $0.6 million for December 31, 2014 with virtually no changes from December 31, 2013. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the portfolio consisted of one holding which was a publicly traded security.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments. These investments totaled $90.5 million as of December 31, 2014, compared to $114.9 million as of December 31, 2013, a decrease of $24.4 million. The $24.4 million net decrease was comprised of decreases in the Funding Agreements, Personal Annuity and Universal Life (M) portfolios of $8.7 million, $11.9 million, and $11.7 million, respectively, partially offset by an increase in Life Insurance portfolio of $7.9 million.

Contract Loans. These investments totaled $16.1 million as of December 31, 2014, compared to $10.5 million as of December 31, 2013, an increase of $5.6 million.

Other Long-Term Investments. Other long-term investments declined by $2.0 million to $10.8 million for December 31, 2014, from a balance of $12.8 million at December 31, 2013. This decline is primarily related to a surplus note being called by its issuer.

Net Deferred Federal Income Tax Asset. Net deferred federal income tax asset increased $5.7 million, or 48.3%, to $17.5 million at December 31, 2014, compared to $11.8 million at December 31, 2013. This


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		54

increase was primarily due to the recognition of tax benefits that will be utilized within three years from December 31, 2014 as compared to the corresponding amount as of December 31, 2013.

Separate Account Assets. Total separate account assets were $4,851.9 million as of December 31, 2014, compared to $3,668.7 million as of December 31, 2013. Included in this increase are net deposit-type contract activity and discretionary contract-holder activity (defined as deposits less withdrawals) of approximately $826.7 million and $229.0 million, respectively, and net appreciation, investment income and net capital gains of $137.2 million. There was also an increase in other liabilities of $30.9 million, primarily for payable for securities purchased and not settled by the end of the period. Partially offsetting these increases were fees paid of $18.2 million and seed money withdrawn of $23.4 million for the period.

Liabilities, Capital and Surplus

Total Liabilities. Total liabilities were $9,477.3 million as of December 31, 2014 compared to $7,646.9 million as of December 31, 2013. This increase of $1,830.4 million, or 23.9%, was due to increases in general account liabilities and separate account liabilities of $630.9 million and $1,199.5 million, respectively. The increase in general account liabilities was primarily driven by increases in reserves for life and health, annuities and deposit-type contracts and asset valuation reserve. The increase in reserves was primarily due to net deposits from the guaranteed funding agreements with the various 529 college savings plans as well as growth in the life and annuity products. The increase in separate account liabilities resulted primarily from the appreciation in the equity markets and discretionary contract-holder activity, including the continued growth of the SAGIC and Intelligent Variable Annuity products.

Reserves for Life and Health, Annuities and Deposit-type Contracts. Reserves for life and health, annuities and deposit-type contracts were $4,550.6 million as of December 31, 2014, compared to $3,914.3 million as of December 31, 2013, an increase of $636.3 million, primarily due to increases in policyholder reserves of $349.4 million and deposit-type contract liabilities of $285.0 million. The $349.4 million increase was primarily driven by net premiums and interest credited on policies exceeding policyholder benefit payments. The increase in deposit-type liabilities was driven by net deposits and investment earnings, and was primarily driven by deposits from guaranteed funding agreements for 529 savings plan.

Asset Valuation Reserve. The AVR of $27.3 million as of December 31, 2014, compared to $17.9 million as of December 31, 2013, increased $9.4 million. The change in the current period was driven by $6.5 million in reserve contributions and formulaic adjustments and realized and unrealized net capital gains of $2.9 million.

Interest Maintenance Reserve. The IMR of $7.0 million as of December 31, 2014, decreased approximately $0.8 million from $7.8 million as of December 31, 2013, primarily due to net realized gains transferred to the IMR more than offset by amortization during the year.

Separate Account Liabilities. These liabilities totaling $4,838.2 million as of December 31, 2014, compared to $3,638.7 million as of December 31, 2013, increased $1,199.5 million, or 33.0%, primarily due to discretionary contract-holder activity and investment performance. This included deposits on the SAGIC product of $823.7 million.

Other Liabilities. Other liabilities consist mainly of unauthorized reinsurance, funds withheld, and payables to TC Life’s parent, agent commissions, and suspense. The decrease of $8.1 million was primarily due to a decrease in funds withheld, payables to parent, and agent commission balances at December 31, 2014 compared to December 31, 2013.

Capital and Surplus. Capital and surplus totaled $354.6 million as of December 31, 2014, compared to $373.8 million as of December 31, 2013. This decrease of $19.2 million in capital and surplus was primarily due to the net loss of $17.5 million, and change in non-admitted assets of $6.9 million, change in AVR of $9.4 million, partially offset by increases of $10.9 million in gross deferred income tax asset and $3.7 million in change in surplus in separate accounts.


		55		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

TC Life has a financial support agreement with TIAA, and, under this agreement, TIAA will provide financial support so that it will have the greater of (a) capital and surplus of $250.0 million, (b) the amount of capital and surplus necessary to maintain the capital and surplus at a level not less than 150% of the NAIC Risk Based Capital model or (c) such other amount as necessary to maintain the financial strength rating at least the same as TIAA’s rating at all times. This agreement is not an evidence of indebtedness or an obligation or liability of TIAA and does not provide any contract owner with recourse to TIAA. TC Life did not receive any capital contributions from TIAA during 2014.

TC Life also maintains a $100.0 million unsecured 364-day revolving line of credit arrangement with TIAA. As of December 31, 2014, $30.0 million of this facility was maintained on a committed basis for which a commitment fee of 6.0 basis points was paid on the unused committed amount. During 2014, 56 draw-downs were made which totaled approximately $181.5 million, of which no amount was outstanding at December 31, 2014.

TC Life has no material off-balance sheet arrangements for financing or other purposes.

The following table presents TC Life’s total adjusted capital as defined by the NAIC, by period (in millions).


	December 31,
	2014		2013
Total Adjusted Capital
Total Capital and Surplus	$	354.6	$	373.8
Portion of Asset Valuation Reserve*		6.0		17.9
Total Adjusted Capital	$	360.6	$	391.7

*	The NAIC changed the amount of asset valuation reserve allowed in the calculation of total adjusted capital in 2014, to be limited to amounts not included in asset adequacy testing for the statutory reserves.

TC Life’s total adjusted capital decreased by $31.1 million from $391.7 million at December 31, 2013 to $360.6 million at December 31, 2014. This decrease of $31.1 million in total adjusted capital was primarily due to the net loss of $17.5 million, change in non-admitted assets of $6.9 million, and change in asset valuation reserve, adjusted for the amount allowed in the calculation for total adjusted capital, of $21.3 million, partially offset by an increase of $10.9 million in gross deferred income tax asset and change in surplus in separate accounts statement of $3.7 million in 2014.

TC Life’s financial strength (i.e., claims-paying ability) ratings are AA+ (Very Strong) from Standard and Poor’s, A++ (Superior) from A.M. Best Company, AAA (Exceptionally Strong) from Fitch Ratings, and Aa1 (Very Strong) from Moody’s Investors Service. Each ratings agency independently assigns a rating based on its own independent review and takes into account a variety of factors, which are subject to change, in making its decision. Accordingly, there can be no assurance of the ratings that will be afforded in the future. These ratings do not apply to the separate accounts because the underlying assets have been allocated to specific separate account liabilities and generally are not available to fund the needs of TC Life’s general account.

A significant portion of TC Life’s general account investments consist of investment grade publicly-traded bonds, which can be readily converted to cash. TC Life carefully reviews its liquidity position on an ongoing basis.


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The following table illustrates TC Life’s cash flows provided by or used in operating, investing, and financing activities for the following periods (in millions, except percentages):


	For the years ended December 31,
							Increase/(decrease)
	2014			2013			$			%

Summary of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operations	$	338.8		$	316.9		$	21.9			6.9	%
Net cash used in investments		(618.0	)		(423.6	)		(194.4	)		45.9
Net cash provided by financing and other		254.8			133.6			121.2			90.7

Net change in cash, cash equivalents and short term investments	$	(24.4	)	$	26.9		$	(51.3	)		190.7	%

As an insurance entity, the positive cash flows generated from premiums received and net investment income earned, are offset by benefits and surrenders paid and customers’ net transfers to separate accounts. Total net cash flow provided by operations includes premiums and investment income received less benefit payments, operating expenses, federal income tax, and net transfers to separate accounts. Cash flow from operations is affected by the level of premiums from the sale of individual annuity and life insurance products, investment income received, expenses paid, and customer decisions to move funds in or out of separate accounts.

The net cash provided by operations was $338.8 million for 2014 compared to $316.9 million for 2013. The $21.9 million increase in net cash provided by operations was primarily due to increases in premiums and miscellaneous income and decreases in policy and contract benefits, partially offset by increases in commissions, operating expenses, and net transfers to separate accounts.

Net cash used in investments increased $194.4 million to $618.0 million for 2014 from $423.6 million for 2013. The increase in cash used in investments primarily resulted from a decrease in proceeds from long-term investments sold, matured or repaid of $75.8 million and an increase in purchases of investments of $120.7 million during the period.

The $121.2 million increase in net cash provided by financing and other between 2014 and 2013 was primarily the result of an increase of $132.1 million in net deposit activity on deposit-type contracts.

Impact of Inflation

The level of inflation during the periods covered by the statutory-basis financial statements has not had a significant impact on TC Life’s revenues, expenses, or net income.

Increased levels of inflation tend to increase the need for life insurance. Many policyholders may increase their life insurance coverage to provide the same relative financial benefit and protection in anticipation of higher inflation. Higher interest rates can also result in higher sales of TC Life’s individual fixed annuities.

The higher interest rates that have traditionally accompanied inflation could also affect certain other aspects of operations. Policy loans generally increase as policy loan interest rates become relatively more attractive. As interest rates increase, disintermediation of existing annuity account balances and individual life policy cash values may increase customer withdrawals. The fair value of TC Life’s fixed-rate, long-term investments may decrease. TC Life’s margins, representing the difference between the interest rate earned on investments and the interest rate credited to life insurance and annuity products, may also be adversely affected by rising interest rates.

Inflation could also increase the costs TC Life might incur in the future to operate the business. Should inflation increase future operating costs, TC Life would attempt to adjust the crediting rates that it provides on the individual fixed annuity, life insurance (to the extent applicable), and funding agreement contracts that are issued in order to maintain its margins.


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Contractual Obligations

As of December 31, 2014, TC Life does not have any current or future contractual obligations related to long-term debt, capital leases, operating leases or purchase obligations. The table below sets forth TC Life’s estimated future contractual obligations as of December 31, 2014 related to contract owner and policyholder obligations (in millions):


Amounts Due By Period
One year or less	$	994.7
After one through three years		1,668.8
After three through five years		1,603.3
After five years		8,886.1
Total	$	13,152.9

The estimated due dates for the estimated contractual obligations are based on various assumptions, including mortality and lapse assumptions of the individual annuity and life insurance lines of business, using historical experience. These estimated obligations are based on TC Life’s actual general account and fixed separate account balance sheet values and include interest expected to be credited during the remaining periods; due to the significance of the assumptions used, the amounts presented could materially differ from actual future results. (Variable separate account liabilities are separated from the general account and are expected to be fully funded by the separate account assets.) Cash flows from the general account’s investments are anticipated to fully fund the general account’s obligations.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

The NAIC promulgates Statutory Accounting Principles primarily through the issuance of Statements of Statutory Accounting Principles. See “Application of New Accounting Pronouncements” in Note 2 of the audited statutory-basis financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET RISK

TC Life is primarily exposed to market risk through investment and insurance activities; however, the majority of investments are carried at amortized cost and not at fair value. Because investment balances do not generally reflect current fair values, the market risk factors discussed below do not generally have a significant direct impact on the financial position or results of operations unless investment positions are determined to have OTTI.

TC Life’s financial position and earnings are indirectly subject to various market risks, including changes in interest rates, changes in the yield curve, changes in spreads between risk-adjusted and risk-free interest rates, changes in foreign currency rates, and equity price risks. These market risks may impact prospective earnings on future investments, which may, in turn, affect the interest that will be prospectively credited on the general account products. TC Life analyzes and manages the risks arising from market exposures of financial instruments, as well as other risks, through an integrated asset/liability management (“ALM”) process. The ALM process involves the monitoring of asset and liability interest rate sensitivities for various product lines; cash flow testing under various interest rate scenarios; and the rebalancing of assets and liabilities with respect to yield, risk, and cash flow characteristics.

The primary focus of the ALM program is manage the interest rate sensitivity of the assets and liability values to interest rate changes to be within limits set by TC Life’s internal policies. TC Life’s products are reviewed individually to examine how the assets backing those products and their associated liabilities are impacted by various interest rate movements.

TC Life believes its ALM programs and procedures and certain product features provide protection against the effects of changes in interest rates under various scenarios. Additionally, it believes the ALM programs and procedures provide sufficient liquidity to enable TC Life to fulfill its obligation to pay benefits under its


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various insurance and deposit contracts. However, the ALM programs and procedures incorporate assumptions about the relationship between short-term and long-term interest rates (i.e., the slope of the yield curve), relationships between risk-adjusted and risk-free interest rates, market liquidity, and other factors and the effectiveness of TC Life’s asset/liability management programs and procedures may be negatively affected whenever actual results differ from those assumptions.

TC Life’s investment portfolio (“Portfolio”) is subject to broad market risk as well as specific interest rate risk. Market risk relates to the potential loss in value resulting from adverse changes in market sentiment of risk and prices. Interest rate risk is the potential loss in fair value resulting from adverse changes in interest rates relative to the interest rate characteristics of interest bearing assets and liabilities. TC Life manages these risks through an integrated ALM process that includes asset allocation and individual exposure limits based on internal risk measurements. The ALM process involves the aforementioned continuous monitoring of asset and liability interest rate sensitivities for various product lines; cash flow testing under various interest rate scenarios; and the pro-active rebalancing of assets and liabilities with respect to yield, risk, and cash flow characteristics.

In addition to market rate and interest rate risk, mortgage-backed securities, which are included in bonds in TC Life’s Portfolio, are subject to prepayment risk or extension risk (i.e., the risk that borrowers will repay the loans earlier or later than anticipated). Included in these mortgage-backed securities are some interest-only securities. If the underlying mortgage assets experience faster than anticipated repayments of principal, TC Life could fail to recoup some or all of the initial investment in these securities, since the original price paid was based in part on assumptions regarding the receipt of interest payments. Note that the potential for appreciation, which could otherwise be expected to result from a decline in interest rates, may be limited by any increased prepayments. If the underlying mortgage assets are repaid later than anticipated, TC Life could lose the opportunity to reinvest the anticipated cash flows at a time when interest rates might be rising. The rate of prepayment depends on a variety of geographic, social, and other functions, including prevailing market interest rates and general economic factors. The fair value of these securities is also highly sensitive to changes in interest rates. These securities may also be harder to sell than other securities.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

Directors

All directors are employees of TIAA, the parent company of TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (“TIAA-CREF Life”), and do not receive additional compensation for their board service. Directors are selected by the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board. The election of Directors generally occurs at the annual meeting of the stockholder. The annual meeting is held each year on the second Wednesday of November. At such annual meeting, all Directors are elected for the ensuing year. The names, year of birth and a description of the business experience, principal occupation and employment during at least the last five years of each of the directors of TIAA-CREF Life are set forth below:

David M. Anderson, 1961, Senior Managing Director, Insurance Services, TIAA (since 2013). Senior Managing Director, Insurance and ATA Products, TIAA (2012-2013). Chairman and Manager (since 2012), President and Chief Executive Officer (since 2015) TIAA-CREF Insurance Agency, LLC. Senior Managing Director, Head of Enterprise Performance and Integration, TIAA, TIAA (September 10 – September 17 2012). Senior Managing Director, Interim Head of HR, TIAA (March 31, 2012 – September 10, 2012). Senior Managing Director, Head of Enterprise Integration, TIAA (2010-March 31, 2012); Director (since 2011), Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (since 2012), TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company. Senior Vice President, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (1983-2010).

Kathie Andrade, 1960, Executive Vice President, Head of Individual Services, TIAA (since 2013). Manager (since 2011), President & CEO (since 2012) and Chairman (since 2014), TIAA-CREF Individual and Institutional Services, LLC (since 2012). Director of T-C Life Insurance Company (since 2012). Senior


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Managing Director, Head of Wealth Management and Distribution, TIAA (2011-2013). Managing Director, Head of Wealth Management Sales & Service, TIAA (2008-2011). Chief Operating Officer, Alternative Investments and other positions, Bank of America (1986-2008).

Elizabeth D. Black, 1959, Senior Managing Director, CIO, Global Public Markets (since 2015), Senior Managing Director, Global Public Markets (2012-2015), Managing Director, Head of Public Portfolio Management (2011-2012), Managing Director, Head of Public Trading (2010-2011), Managing Director, Head of Fixed Income Trading (2010), Head of Fixed Income Portfolio Management (2006 to 2009), TIAA. Chief Investment Officer (since 2015), Senior Managing Director (2012-2014), Teachers Advisors, Inc. Senior Managing Director, TIAA-CREF Alternatives Advisors, LLC (since 2015). Senior Managing Director, TIAA-CREF Alternatives Services, LLC (since 2015). Chief Investment Officer (since 2015), Senior Managing Director (2012-2014), TIAA-CREF Investment Management, LLC; Director, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2006). Trustee, University-Liggett School (Grosse Pointe Farms, MI) (since 2009).

Douglas Chittenden, 1960, Executive Vice President, Head of Individual Business, TIAA (since 2013). Senior Managing Director, Institutional Product Management, TIAA (2011-2012). Senior Vice President, Institutional Product Management, TIAA (2010-2011). Vice President, Institutional Product Management, TIAA (2007-2010). Chairman (since 2013) and Director (2004-2011, and since 2012), TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB (“Trust Co”). Chairman and Director, TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. (since 2008). Director, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc. (2010-2013). Director, TIAA-CREF Asset Management (since 2013). Manager (since 2014), Vice President, TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC (since 2004). Manager, TCT Holdings, Inc. (since 2014); Director, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2014).

Eric T. Jones, 1961, Senior Managing Director, Advisory Solutions & Product Development, TIAA (since 2013). Senior Managing Director, Head of Advice & Product Solutions, TIAA (2012-2013). Senior Vice President, Individual Products, TIAA (2006-2012). Manager of T-C Services (since 2008). Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, TIAA-CREF Life (2008-2010). Director, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2008). Self employed as a research consultant (2006). Senior Vice President, UBS Financial Services (1992-2005).

Russell Noles, 1958, Senior Managing Director, Chief Strategy Officer (since 2013). Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Development, TIAA (2011 – 2013). Director, Covariance (2010-2014). Manager, Kaspick (since 2008). Senior Vice President, Trust Products, (2008 – 2011), Senior Vice President, Internal Audit (2006-2008), Vice President & Acting Chief Financial Officer (2005 – 2006), Vice President, Internal Audit (2004 – 2005), TIAA. Director, Nuveen Investments, Inc. (since 2015), Vice President, Nuveen Holdings, Inc. (since 2015). Vice President, St. Paul Travelers Companies (2001 – 2004). Vice President, Qwest/US WEST Communications (1984 – 2001). Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Rashmi Badwe, 1971, Senior Managing Director, TIAA (since 2013). Director, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2014).

Sue Collins, 1953, Senior Vice President, TIAA (since 2013). Chief Actuary, CREF (since 2013). Director, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2014).

Ajay Sawhney, 1953, Senior Managing Director, TIAA (since 2015). Director, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2014).

Christopher McGeown, 1963, Senior Vice President (since 2016), Vice President (since 2014), TIAA. Director, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2015).

The Board has an Audit Committee that reviews the scope and results of the audit and other services provided by TIAA-CREF Life’s independent registered public accounting firm, and reviews and approves matters pertaining to accounting, internal control procedures, and related policies. The Board has an Executive Committee that has the full powers of the Board during intervals between the meetings of the Board, subject to applicable law. The Board has an Investment Committee that determines the investment policies and


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supervises the investment of the funds of TIAA-CREF Life. The Board has a Nominating Committee that nominates directors and executive officers and designates principal officers. The Board does not have a Compensation Committee because TIAA-CREF Life does not have any employees. The Board may, from time to time, establish certain other committees and subcommittees to facilitate the management of

TIAA-CREF Life.

Executive Officers

All officers are employees of TIAA and do not receive any compensation from TIAA-CREF Life for their services. The names, year of birth, position and a description of the business experience, principal occupation and employment during at least the last five years of each of the officers of TIAA-CREF Life are set forth below:

David M. Anderson, 1961, for Mr. Anderson’s business experience, principal occupation and employment history, see information under “Director.”

Elizabeth S. DeBenedictis, 1968, as Vice President, Third Party Insurance Wholesaling, TIAA (since 2011). Vice President, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2012). National Vice President, Sun Life Financial (2007-2011). Member, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting.

Larkin W. Fields, 1954, Vice President of Regulatory Financial Reporting (since 2016), Senior Director, Regulatory Reporting (2013-2016), Director, Regulatory Reporting (2009-2013), Director, Accounting Policy (2008-2009), TIAA. Chief Financial Officer (since 2015), TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company. Senior Vice President, Enterprise Compliance and Chief Privacy Officer, and other positions, United States Automobile Association (USAA) and USAA Life Insurance Company (1985-2007).

Margarita Echevarria, 1951, Vice President, Senior Compliance Officer, TIAA (since 2011). Chief Compliance Officer, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2011). Senior Vice President-Compliance, Insurance Services and other positions, HSBC (2001-2010).

Carol Fracasso, 1963, Senior Director (2013), Vice President (since 2013), TIAA. Vice President, Business Management (since 2015), Vice President, Underwriting & New Business Operations (2013-2015), TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company. Vice President and other positions, AXA Equitable Life Insurance (1986-2012).

Jorge Gutierrez, 1961, Vice President (since 2009) and Treasurer (since 2008), TIAA. Vice President, Teachers Advisors, Inc. (since 2014). Vice President, TIAA-CREF Alternatives Advisors, LLC (since 2014). Vice President, TIAA-CREF Alternatives Services, LLC (since 2015). Manager, Treasury Services and Assistant Treasurer, TIAA (2004- 2008). Manager, Treasury Services, TIAA (2000-2004). Treasurer, TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2008).

Ken Reitz, 1957, Senior Director and Associate General Counsel (since 2013), Director and Associate General Counsel (2011-2013), Associate General Counsel (2008-2011), TIAA. General Counsel (since 2015), TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company.

Cherita Thomas, 1974, Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary (since 2014), TIAA. Secretary (since 2015), TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company. Secretary, TCT Holdings, Inc. (since 2015); Secretary, TIAA-CREF Insurance Agency, LLC (since 2015); Assistant Secretary, TIAA-CREF Redwood, LLC (since 2015); Secretary, TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB (since 2014); Secretary, TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. (since 2015). Todd Sagmoe, 1964, Vice President, Actuarial (since 2011) and Illustration Actuary (since 2014), TIAA. Vice President and Illustration Actuary TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (since 2014). Vice President, Wells Fargo (2010-2011). Senior Manager, Deloitte LLP (2008-2010).

Audit Committee Financial Expert

The Board of Directors of TIAA-CREF Life has determined that Russell Noles is qualified and would serve as the Audit Committee financial expert on TIAA-CREF Life’s Audit Committee. Mr. Noles is not independent of TIAA-CREF Life’s management.


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Code of Ethics

The Board of Trustees of TIAA has a code of ethics for senior financial officers, including its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, or controller, and persons performing similar functions, in conformity with rules promulgated under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. As employees of TIAA, the Board of Directors and Executive Officers of TIAA-CREF Life must adhere to the code of ethics for Senior Financial Officers adopted by TIAA’s Board of Trustees. In addition, TIAA-CREF Life has a code of ethics for senior financial officers, including its principal executive officers, principal financial officers, principal accounting officers or controllers, in conformity with rules promulgated under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The code of ethics for TIAA-CREF Life is filed as an exhibit to this report.

During the period, there were no implicit or explicit waivers granted by the Registrant from any provision of the code of ethics.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

We do not currently have any employees. Our operational needs are met by TIAA and certain of its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. All employees who provide services to us are TIAA employees and are paid by TIAA. Their compensation-related costs are allocated to us based on various factors, the primary being the estimated time allocated to providing service to TIAA-CREF Life, or as general corporate overhead, based primarily on assets under management. Our directors and officers are not specifically compensated for their work for TIAA-CREF Life. The description of the compensation plans and the compensation-related information presented below is primarily related to TIAA. The compensation tables contain the compensation-related costs allocated from TIAA to TIAA-CREF Life for the Named Executive Officers.

Compensation and Benefits Philosophy

The compensation and benefits programs for TIAA executives are designed with the goal of providing compensation that is fair, reasonable and competitive. The programs are intended to help TIAA recruit and retain qualified executives, and motivate executives by providing rewards that are linked to performance while also aligning the interests of executives with those of TIAA’s institutional clients and individual customers (referred to in this Executive Compensation section as “participants”).

The design of specific programs is based on the following guiding principles:

Performance

TIAA believes that the best way to accomplish alignment of compensation plans with the interest of its participants is to link pay directly to individual, business area and company-wide performance. When performance exceeds expectations, pay levels are targeted to be above the competitive median. When performance falls below expectations, pay levels are targeted below the competitive median.

Competitiveness

Compensation and benefits programs are designed to be competitive with those provided by companies with whom TIAA competes for talent. In general, programs are considered competitive when they are targeted at the competitive median of these competitor companies and vary based on level of performance. Benefits programs are designed to provide competitive levels of protection and financial security and are not based on performance.

Cost

Compensation and benefit programs are designed to be cost-effective and affordable, ensuring that the interests of TIAA’s participants are considered.


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Comparator Groups

The relevant comparator group for compensation and benefit programs consists of financial services firms, including insurance companies, mutual funds and other investment companies. Information regarding compensation and benefit programs of the firms included in the comparator group is provided to TIAA by independent compensation survey providers. The survey data further enables the Human Resources Committee of TIAA’s Board of Trustees (the “Committee”) to compare the competitiveness of the compensation of its executive officers with those firms with which TIAA competes for talent.

Internal Equity

The guiding principles described above are the same principles that govern the design of the compensation and benefit plans provided to TIAA’s non-executive workforce. TIAA believes that this alignment of philosophy is an important element in creating an environment of trust and teamwork that furthers the long-term interests of the organization.

Components of Total Compensation

TIAA’s executive compensation and benefits package consists of direct compensation and company-sponsored benefit plans. Each component is designed to achieve a specific purpose and contribute to a total package that is competitive, appropriately performance-based, and valued by TIAA’s executives.

Direct Compensation

Direct compensation consists of base salary and variable compensation (which includes an Annual Cash Award and a Long Term Performance Plan Award). All elements of compensation are targeted at the competitive median. Both elements of variable compensation are linked to performance—individual, business area and company-wide. When performance exceeds expectations, pay levels are targeted to be above the competitive median. When performance falls below expectations, pay levels are targeted below the competitive median. By creating these links, TIAA seeks to achieve its objectives of performance-based, cost-effective compensation programs.

Base Salary

Base salary is determined with reference to competitive pay practices and is aligned with the individual’s relative role and responsibilities.

Variable Compensation

Variable compensation, comprised of Annual Cash Awards and Long Term Performance Plan Awards, is designed to place a significant portion of total compensation at risk—that is, linked directly to performance.

Annual Cash Award

Annual Cash Awards, together with base salary, comprise the annual total cash compensation payable to executives. Annual Cash Awards are discretionarily determined with reference to the competitive market and vary based on performance.

Long Term Performance Plan Award

Awards under the LTPP are determined as dollar amounts and granted as plan units that vest over a specified performance period. The number of units awarded is determined by dividing the dollar value of the individual’s award by the plan’s unit value as of December 31st of the preceding year. Units vest on the third anniversary of the grant date. The cash value of the units is payable upon vesting and, generally, individuals must be employed on the vesting date in order to receive a payment.

The LTPP was designed to mirror equity-related plans offered by most organizations with which TIAA competes for talent. The plan enables executives to align their interests with those of participants and to participate in the success of the enterprise.


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Company-Sponsored Benefit Plans

TIAA provides company-sponsored insurance, retirement and severance benefit plans to executives. The benefits package is designed to assist executives in providing for their own financial security in a manner that recognizes individual needs and preferences.

Insurance Plans

The core insurance package includes health, dental, disability and basic group life insurance coverage. In general, executives participate in these benefits on the same basis as other TIAA employees.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation Plans

TIAA provides qualified (under the IRC) and non-qualified retirement and deferred compensation benefits to executives. All employer contributions deferred under the plans are fully vested after three years of service.

Retirement Plan

The TIAA Retirement Plan is a tax-qualified defined contribution plan intended to help provide for an employee’s financial security in retirement. TIAA employees who are age 21 or older are eligible to participate in the plan. TIAA makes contributions that may currently be invested in TIAA and/or CREF retirement annuities and TIAA-CREF mutual funds available under the plan, as directed by the employee. Contributions are expressed as a percentage of base salary and the percentage increases upon attainment of certain ages. TIAA does not offer a defined benefit retirement plan.

Equalization Plan

The TIAA Retirement Benefit Equalization Plan (“Equalization Plan”) is a non-qualified plan that covers all employees for whom TIAA’s annual contributions to the TIAA Retirement Plan are restricted by IRC limitations. Under the Equalization Plan, TIAA contributes an amount equal to what would otherwise have been provided under the TIAA Retirement Plan except for the restrictions imposed by tax law. Amounts are credited to notional accounts in the same annuity and mutual fund options as under the TIAA Retirement Plan. In 2008, benefits were payable from the Equalization Plan following the executive’s separation from service and at the same time as benefits were payable under the TIAA Retirement Plan. Due to a change in the tax law effective in 2009, amounts under the Equalization Plan are now payable independently from the TIAA Retirement Plan.

TIAA 401(k) Plan and Excess Plan

TIAA’s 401(k) plan provides employees the opportunity to save for retirement on a tax-favored basis. Executives may elect to participate in the 401(k) plan on the same basis as all other TIAA employees. Beginning in 2011, TIAA started matching 100% of the first 3% of base salary contributed by an employee. Contributions made may currently be invested in TIAA and/or CREF retirement annuities and TIAA-CREF mutual funds available under the plan, as directed by the employee. Employees whose deferrals (including matching contributions) are subject to IRC limits may defer excess amounts under the TIAA 401(k) Excess Plan (“Excess Plan”), a non-qualified plan. Amounts are credited to notional accounts in the same annuity and mutual fund options as under the 401(k) plan.

Severance Plan

Executives whose employment terminates involuntarily because their positions are eliminated, relocated, or their job duties change due to company reorganization qualify for competitive severance benefits under TIAA’s severance plan. Executives participate in the severance plan on the same basis as other TIAA employees. In general, the level of severance benefit is based on the number of years of completed service and is tiered based on the employee’s base salary. The minimum severance benefit is six weeks of salary and the maximum is 52 weeks of salary.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		64

Employees who are eligible for benefits under the Severance Plan are also eligible to receive a payment based on their prior year Annual Cash Award. Also, any outstanding performance units awarded in 2005 or later under the LTPP will continue to vest per the vesting schedule under which the awards were granted. Awards granted prior to 2005 will vest on a prorated basis. All severance benefits are conditional on the executive signing a Separation and Release Agreement.

Perquisites

There were no perquisites for the Named Executive Officers.

Determining Benefit Levels

These benefit levels, in aggregate, are reviewed periodically to ensure that the plans and programs provided are generally competitive and cost-effective for TIAA and support TIAA’s human capital needs. Benefit levels are not directly tied to company-wide, business area, or individual performance.

Establishing Compensation Levels

Direct compensation levels (base salary, Annual Cash Award and LTPP Award) are established based on several factors: competitive benchmarking and company-wide, business area and individual performance.

Competitive Benchmarking

Each year, competitive compensation levels are established through the use of market data provided by third party surveys and public disclosures by relevant comparator companies. These comparator companies include: both public and private asset managers; insurance companies; other financial services organizations; and other general industry companies, as appropriate. The data sources for the analysis are obtained from two independent compensation survey providers. These market analyses include base salary, annual cash awards and long-term awards. Based on the competitive market data, compensation guidelines are established for each position. These guidelines provide information on the 25th, 50th (median) and 75th percentile pay levels in the competitive market.

Company Performance

The actual amount of total funding recommended for the Annual Cash Award and LTPP Award for all employees is dependent on overall company performance of TIAA, as determined by the Committee. The Corporate Scorecard is the key measure of certain company performance indicators. Subject to affordability, when Corporate Scorecard performance is at target, the overall recommended funding for variable compensation awards is intended to approximate the competitive median. When Scorecard performance is below target, overall recommended funding will generally be below the competitive median; similarly, when Scorecard performance exceeds target, overall recommended funding may be above the competitive median.

Determining Incentive Compensation Allocation—Annual and Long-Term Incentives

Overall variable compensation funding is established with reference to company performance at TIAA against the Corporate Scorecard and is ultimately subject to a discretionary adjustment based on the judgment of the Committee regarding affordability, and to ensure appropriate alignment with the interests of participants.

TIAA executive management allocates the combined variable compensation pool to business and support areas, based on their relative contributions to TIAA’s overall performance.

Determining Individual Compensation Levels

Executives

Individual compensation levels for executives are determined based on overall company-wide, business area and individual performance and is subject to funding availability as described above in “Company Performance.” Within the approved funding levels, executives whose performance exceeds expectations will


		65		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

generally receive total compensation above the competitive median of their compensation guideline; executives whose performance meets expectations will receive total compensation comparable to the competitive median of their guideline; and executives with below-expectation performance will receive total compensation below the competitive median of their guideline.

Base Salary

TIAA does not typically grant regular, annual base salary increases to executives. Instead, increases to base salary are awarded when necessary to address significant changes in the external competitive market for a given position, to recognize an executive for assuming significant additional responsibilities, or to achieve an appropriate competitive level due to a promotion to a more senior position.

Annual Cash Award and Long Term Performance Plan Award

In determining the amount of an executive’s variable compensation—the Annual Cash Award and the LTPP Award—TIAA uses the market-based compensation guidelines described above. Within those guidelines, TIAA considers the overall funding available for variable compensation awards and the executive’s performance. TIAA does not employ the use of incentive target percentages for the annual or long-term award, and does not use any formula-based approach in determining individual awards. Rather, discretion is exercised in determining the overall total compensation to be awarded to the executive. Once Total Compensation level is established, the mix of cash bonus and LTPP award for each employee is determined based on a scale applicable to all employees. As a result, the amounts delivered in the form of an Annual Cash Award and in the form of a LTPP Award are designed to work together in conjunction with base salary to deliver an appropriate total compensation level to the executive.

TIAA believes that the discretionary design of its variable compensation programs support its overall compensation objectives by allowing for significant differentiation of pay based on performance; by providing the flexibility necessary to ensure that pay packages for the executive group are competitive relative to the external market; and by providing TIAA with the ability to deliver compensation in a manner that is linked to results that benefit TIAA’s participants as well as being internally equitable and appropriately reflecting the contributions of each executive to the short- and long-term success of the organization.

The Annual Compensation Process

The Committee reviews the benchmarking and performance results presented by management in determining the appropriate aggregate compensation levels for the performance year. In conducting its review, the Committee considers quantitative performance results, the overall need of the organization to attract, retain and incent the executive team, and the total cost of compensation programs. Following the Committee’s decisions on overall funding levels, TIAA management determines the appropriate individual compensation levels for executives.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		66

Compensation in the Last Fiscal Year

Summary Compensation Table*

For the Years Ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013


Name and Principal Position	Year		Salary ($)¹		Bonus ($)²		Stock Awards ($)		Option Awards ($)		Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)³		Change in Pension Value and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)		All Other Compensation ($)		Total ($)
Anderson, David M. Chairman, President and CEO		2015 2014 2013		203,086 296,400		298,548 296,400		— —		— —		155,668 —		— —		9,783 —		667,085 592,800
Fields, Larkin W. ⁴ CFO		2015 2014 2013		— —		— —		— —		— —		— —		— —		— —		— —
Dougherty, Linda S.⁵ Former Vice President and CFO		2015 2014 2013		466 35,114		412 26,788		— —		— —		214 14,100		— —		— —		1,092 76,002
Debenedictis, Elizabeth Vice President, Third Party Insurance Wholesaling		2015 2014 2013		102,822 200,000		111,000 117,770		— —		— —		40,770 68,845		— —		— —		254,592 386,615
Fracasso, Carol Vice President, Underwriting & New Business Operations		2015 2014 2013		96,262 —		65,322 —		— —		— —		21,197 —		— —		— —		182,781 —

*	Amounts represent the executives’ compensation allocated to TIAA-CREF Life.

¹	The amounts shown represent the base salary earnings for the 2015, 2014 and 2013 calendar years and are not reduced to reflect elections for tax-qualified benefits or to defer compensation.

²	The amounts shown represent annual cash awards earned for the 2015, 2014 and 2013 performance cycles, payable in the following year under the TIAA’s Annual Cash Award program.

³	The amounts shown represent the payout made for the years presented based on the performance unit values for previous grants that vested during the periods.

⁴	Ms. Fields was appointed as CFO of TIAA-CREF Life during 2015. The amount shown represents TIAA-CREF Life’s allocation of the annualized rate of salary.

⁵	Ms. Dougherty resigned as Vice President and CFO of TIAA-CREF Life as of October 2, 2015.

Non-Qualified Contribution and Other Deferred Compensation Plans

As of Year Ended December 31, 2015


Name and Principal Position	Executive Contributions in Last FY ($)		Registrant Contributions in Last FY ($)		Aggregate Earnings in Last FY ($)		Aggregate Withdrawals Distribution ($)		Aggregate Balance at Last FYE ($)
Anderson, David M. President and CEO		14,420		—		873		—		59,246
Fields, Larkin W. CFO
Dougherty, Linda S. Former Vice President and CFO		400		—		54		—		69,513
Debenedictis, Elizabeth Vice President, Third Party Insurance Wholesaling		—		—		—		—		—
Fracasso, Carol Vice President, Underwriting & New Business Operations		—		—		—		—		—


		67		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

Contributions consist of executive contributions to the Excess Plan and TIAA-CREF Life’s allocation of TIAA’s contributions to the Equalization Plan, of which each plan is described above under Company-Sponsored Benefit Plans.

Payments and Benefits Triggered by Termination

Named Executive Officers. The amount of compensation (if any) that is payable to the Named Executive Officers upon termination of employment depends on the nature and circumstances under which employment is ended. All such Named Executive Officers are entitled to severance benefits under the Severance Plan under the same terms as are applicable to all TIAA employees.

Resignation by the Executive. If a Named Executive Officer voluntarily resigns from TIAA, no Annual Cash Award is payable and no amounts under the LTPP will be payable unless the Named Executive Officer meets the retirement requirements under that plan at the time of termination. The Named Executive Officer may be entitled to receive benefits from the TIAA Retirement Plan and the Retirement Equalization Plan to the extent those benefits have been earned under the provisions of the plan and he or she has met the vesting requirements of the plan. In addition, the Named Executive Officer would be entitled to receive any amounts voluntarily deferred (and the earnings thereon) under the TIAA 401(k) Plan and the TIAA 401(k) Excess Plan.

Termination by TIAA Meeting Severance Plan Eligibility. If a Named Executive Officer’s employment is involuntarily terminated by TIAA under circumstances that meet the eligibility provisions of the TIAA’s Severance Plan (generally an involuntary termination due to their position being eliminated or relocated or a change in their job duties due to company reorganization), described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section, he or she will be entitled to receive the following:

•

Earned and vested amounts under the TIAA Retirement Plan, Retirement Equalization Plan, 401(k) Plan and TIAA 401(k) Excess Plan.

•

Severance benefits based on salary and years of service.

•

A payment based on the Named Executive Officer’s last Annual Cash Award payment and his or her Termination Date. If the Termination Date occurs before Annual Cash Awards have been paid for the prior year, the amount of payment will be equal to 100% of the last Annual Cash Award that the Named Executive Officer was actually paid, plus 75% of the amount of the last paid Annual Cash Award, prorated based on completed months of service from January 1 of the year of termination through his or her Termination Date. If the Termination Date occurs after the Annual Cash Awards have been paid for the prior year, the executive will receive 75% of the last Annual Cash Award that he or she was actually paid, prorated based on completed months of service from January 1 of the year of termination through his or her Termination Date.

•

For LTPP Awards granted, the award will continue to vest and be paid based on the terms under which the award was granted.

Termination by TIAA Not Meeting Severance Plan Eligibility. If a Named Executive Officer’s employment is involuntarily terminated by TIAA under circumstances that do not meet the eligibility provisions of the Severance Plan, no amounts are generally payable under the plan. In addition, if the Named Executive Officer is terminated for misconduct or other serious infraction of TIAA policy, all LTPP performance units will be forfeited regardless of whether the Named Executive Officer qualifies for retirement under the LTPP. The Named Executive Officer may be entitled to receive benefits from the Retirement Plan and the Retirement Equalization Plan to the extent those benefits have been earned under the provisions of such plans and he or she has met the vesting requirements of such plans. In addition, the Named Executive Officer would be entitled to receive any amounts voluntarily deferred (and the earnings thereon) under the TIAA 401(k) Plan and the TIAA 401(k) Excess Plan.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		68

Change in Control

TIAA has no post-employment compensation programs designed to provide benefits upon the change in control of TIAA. In addition, none of TIAA’s compensation and benefit plans contain provisions for payments in connection with a change in control.

Discussion of Potential Payments Triggered by Termination

The values set forth on the “Payments and Benefits Triggered by Termination” table below list the estimated additional compensation that would have been payable to each of the Named Executive Officers if employment had been terminated as of December 31, 2015 under various scenarios (generally corresponding to those described above).

The Named Executive Officers are generally eligible for benefits under the Severance Plan in the event of an applicable termination. With respect to payments shown for “Severance Plan Eligible” terminations:

•

amounts listed under “Salary” reflect the portion of the Severance Plan benefit that is based on salary level and years of service,

•

amounts listed under “Annual Cash Award” are based on a pro-rata portion of any unpaid bonus attributable to Named Executive Officer’s employment in the year in which such termination occurs, and

•

amounts listed under “Vesting of Previously Granted LTPP Awards” represent the value of previously-granted LTPP awards held by the Named Executive Officers as of December 31, 2015 that become vested due to the termination and which would otherwise have been forfeited upon termination of employment (other than due to death or disability).

In the event of termination due to death or disability, all previously granted LTPP awards held as of December 31, 2015 would vest in accordance with LTPP, as listed in the “Vesting of Previously Granted LTPP Awards” column in the following table.

Payments and Benefits Triggered by Termination*

As of December 31, 2015


	Vesting of Previously Granted LTPP Awards⁽²⁾		Severance
Name and Reason for Termination	Vesting of Previously Granted LTPP Awards⁽²⁾		Salary ⁽³⁾		Annual Cash Award ⁽⁴⁾		Total

Anderson, David M.
By Executive for Voluntary Resignation		—		—		—		—
By TIAA—Severance Plan Eligible		812,511		63,275		145,161		1,020,947
By TIAA—Not Severance Plan Eligible		—		—		—		—
Death or Disability ⁽¹⁾		812,511		—		—		812,511
Fields, Larkin W.
By Executive for Voluntary Resignation
By TIAA—Severance Plan Eligible
By TIAA—Not Severance Plan Eligible
Death or Disability ⁽¹⁾
Dougherty, Linda S.
By Executive for Voluntary Resignation		—		—		—		—
By TIAA—Severance Plan Eligible		649		466		266		1,381
By TIAA—Not Severance Plan Eligible		—		—		—		—
Death or Disability ⁽¹⁾		649		—		—		649


		69		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus


	Vesting of Previously Granted LTPP Awards⁽²⁾		Severance
Name and Reason for Termination	Vesting of Previously Granted LTPP Awards⁽²⁾		Salary ⁽³⁾		Annual Cash Award ⁽⁴⁾		Total

Debenedictis, Elizabeth
By Executive for Voluntary Resignation		—		—		—		—
By TIAA—Severance Plan Eligible		86,531		25,682		42,739		154,952
By TIAA—Not Severance Plan Eligible		—		—		—		—
Death or Disability ⁽¹⁾		86,531		—		—		86,531
Fracasso, Carol
By Executive for Voluntary Resignation		—		—		—		—
By TIAA—Severance Plan Eligible		44,623		19,052		36,835		100,510
By TIAA—Not Severance Plan Eligible		—		—		—		—
Death or Disability ⁽¹⁾		44,623		—		—		44,623

*	Amounts represent the executives’ payments and benefits which would be allocable to TIAA-CREF Life.

¹	In the event of termination due to death or disability, all previously granted LTPP awards held as of December 31, 2014 would vest in accordance with the LTPP.

“Vesting of Previously Granted LTPP Awards” reflects the value of previously-granted LTPP awards held by the named officers that are payable following a termination that is (a) Severance Plan eligible or (b) not Severance Plan eligible (not including misconduct), in each case, pursuant to the terms of either the Severance Plan or the LTPP, and which otherwise would have been forfeited upon termination of employment. These values corresponding to Severance Plan eligible terminations represent the unvested portion of LTPP Awards previously granted during the period of 2013 – 2015 and are not increased due to termination (other than any inherent increase in value attributable to the acceleration of a payment).

³	Amounts represent the executives’ portion of the Severance Plan that is based on salary level and years of service.

⁴	“Severance—Annual Cash Award” payments reflect the pro-rated Annual Cash Award payable under the Severance Plan, based on 75% of the prior Annual Cash Award for the period.

TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

Except for the agreements described below, there have been no transactions between TIAA-CREF Life and any related person since January 1, 2015, nor are any such related person transactions currently being contemplated, for which disclosure would be required.

TIAA is the sole stockholder of TIAA-CREF Life, and TIAA-CREF Life and TIAA are parties to the following agreements:

Investment Management Agreement

The Investment Management Agreement provides that TIAA serves as investment adviser with respect to our investment portfolio that we maintain in connection with our business as an insurer. Under the Agreement, TIAA provides investment management services as we may request or as we may determine is reasonably necessary for the proper administration of our investment portfolio, and TIAA agrees to maintain sufficient facilities and trained personnel to perform those services. In consideration for the services provided under the Agreement, we agree to pay TIAA each calendar quarter a fee, which will be the cost to TIAA of performing the investment management services under the Agreement and to reimburse TIAA for any expenses relating to the performance of those services.

Amended and Restated Service Agreement

The Amended and Restated Service Agreement provides that TIAA will perform certain administrative and special services for our business operations, including accounting and bookkeeping services, treasury tasks, tax related services, provide operations systems, telecommunications and mail services, data processing services, maintenance of records, files and other information, legal advisory services, corporate secretarial services, actuarial advisory services, personnel services, public relations services, and such other services as we may request from time to time. In addition, the Agreement allows us to use, in our day-to-day operations, certain


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		70

property, equipment, and facilities of TIAA, including, without limitation, data processing equipment, business property (whether owned or leased), and communication equipment. In consideration for the services provided under the Agreement, we agree to reimburse TIAA each quarter for the cost to TIAA of performing the services under the Agreement, as reasonably and equitably determined to be attributable to us by TIAA, including all direct and directly-allocable expenses, plus a reasonable charge for direct overhead as agreed to by us and TIAA from time to time.

Financial Support Agreement

We have a financial support agreement with TIAA, and, under this agreement, TIAA will provide financial support so that we will have the greater of (a) capital and surplus of $250.0 million, (b) the amount of capital and surplus necessary to maintain our capital and surplus at a level not less than 150% of the NAIC Risk Based Capital model or (c) such other amount as necessary to maintain our financial strength rating at least the same as TIAA’s rating at all times. This agreement is not an evidence of indebtedness or an obligation or liability of TIAA and does not provide any contract owner with recourse to TIAA.

Tax Allocation Agreement

As a subsidiary of TIAA, we are included in TIAA’s consolidated group for U.S. federal income tax purposes. With respect to tax returns for any taxable period in which we are included in TIAA’s consolidated group, the amount of taxes to be paid by us is determined, subject to some adjustments, as if we filed our own separate tax return. Under the Tax Allocation Agreement, TIAA agrees to prepare, and TIAA Board of Overseers, the sole, collective owner of TIAA, will execute and file, all consolidated returns with respect to the consolidated group. We agree to pay to TIAA an amount equal to the federal income tax payments that we would be obligated to pay the federal government if we filed a separate return. TIAA agrees to pay each of its subsidiaries, including us, any reductions in the consolidated group’s federal income tax liability that are attributable to the tax losses of the subsidiary, and any refund owed to the subsidiary.

Distribution Arrangements

Our affiliate, TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC (“TC Services”), a subsidiary of TIAA, is authorized to distribute contracts products issued through separate accounts for VA-1, VLI-1, and VLI-2 and distribute the IHA contracts.

Since May 1, 2012, these services are provided via a direct agreement between us and TC Services. Prior to May 1, 2012, these services were provided via agreements between TIAA and/or us and Teachers Personal Investor Services, Inc. (“TPIS”), also a subsidiary of TIAA, which subcontracted distribution services to TC Services for the IHA product pursuant to an Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement. Services is compensated by us for all reasonable direct and directly allocable expenses it incurs in providing distribution services under the IHA Distribution Agreement, as reasonably and equitably determined to be attributable to TC Services.

SAGIC-related Arrangements

TPIS is authorized to distribute the SAGIC contracts pursuant to a distribution agreement with us. We reimburse TPIS at cost for all costs and expenses incurred by and directly or indirectly allocable to TPIS in providing distribution services.

Our subsidiary, Teachers Advisors, Inc. (“TAI”), acts as investment manager with respect to the assets of the SVSA-1, SVSA-2, and SVSA-3 separate accounts pursuant to an investment management agreement. TAI has discretionary authority to invest the assets of the separate accounts, subject to certain investment guidelines. In consideration for the investment management services provided by TIA, we pay TIA a fee each calendar quarter based on the total market value of each separate account’s assets and reimburse TIA for any expenses related to performing its services.


		71		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

Note Purchase Agreement

The Company maintains a $100 million unsecured 364-day revolving line of credit with TIAA. As of December 31, 2014, $30 million of this facility was maintained on a committed basis for which the Company paid a commitment fee of 6 basis points on the undrawn committed amount. During 2014 we made thirty-two drawdowns which totaled approximately $102.5 million, and 24 drawdowns on the uncommitted portion of the line, which totaled approximately $79 million, of which no amount was outstanding at December 31, 2014.

Service Agreement

Services for funding agreements used to fund certain qualified state tuition programs for which TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. (“TFI”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of TIAA-CREF Asset Management LLC is the program manager, are provided to TIAA-CREF Life by TFI pursuant to a Service Agreement between the Company and TFI.

Related Person Fees

For the services provided in accordance with the agreements identified above, we incurred $150 million in total fees to TIAA during the year ended December 31, 2015.

Transactions with Related Persons Prohibited

The Board of Directors and Executive Officers of TIAA-CREF Life, as employees of TIAA, must adhere to a Corporate Code of Conduct and a Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers adopted by TIAA’s Board of Trustees. The policies proscribe activities and transactions where the director’s or executive officer’s private interests interfere with the interests of TIAA, its affiliates and subsidiaries. Under these rules, no director or officer would be permitted to engage in transactions with TIAA for which disclosure is required under SEC rules. Annually, directors and executive officers must submit a form to TIAA’s General Counsel confirming that he or she has received, read and understands the Code of Ethics and has complied with the requirements of the Code; and notify the General Counsel promptly if he or she becomes aware of any existing or potential violation of this Code.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		72

INDEX TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

December 31, 2014


Report of Management Responsibility			74

Independent Auditor’s Report			75

Statutory–Basis Financial Statements:

Statements of Admitted Assets, Liabilities and Capital and Surplus			76

Statements of Operations			77

Statements of Changes in Capital and Surplus			78

Statements of Cash Flows			79

Notes to Financial Statements			80

TEACHERS INSURANCE AND ANNUITY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA


Report of Management Responsibility			111

Report of Independent Auditors			113

Statutory–Basis Financial Statements:

Statements of Admitted Assets, Liabilities and Capital and Contingency Reserves			115

Statements of Operations			116

Statements of Changes in Capital and Contingency Reserves			117

Statements of Cash Flows			118

Notes to Financial Statements			119


		73		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

REPORT OF MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY

April 7, 2015

To the Shareholder of TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company:

Financial Statements

The accompanying statutory-basis financial statements of TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (“TIAA-CREF Life”) are the responsibility of management. They have been prepared on the basis of statutory accounting principles, a comprehensive basis of accounting comprised of accounting principles prescribed or permitted by the New York State Department of Financial Services. The financial statements of TIAA-CREF Life have been presented fairly and objectively in accordance with such statutory accounting principles.

The independent auditors of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP have audited the accompanying statutory-basis financial statements of TIAA-CREF Life for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012. To maintain auditor independence and avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, it continues to be TIAA-CREF Life’s policy that any management advisory or consulting service, which is not in accordance with TIAA-CREF Life’s specific auditor independence policies designed to avoid such conflicts, be obtained from a firm other than the independent auditor. The independent auditors’ report expresses an opinion in all material respects on the fairness of presentation of these statutory-basis financial statements.

The Audit Committee of the TIAA-CREF Life Board of Directors meets regularly with management, representatives of the independent accounting firm and internal audit personnel to review matters relating to financial reporting, internal controls and auditing. In addition to the annual independent audit of the TIAA-CREF Life statutory-basis financial statements, the New York State Department of Financial Services and other state insurance departments regularly examine the operations and financial statements of TIAA-CREF Life as part of their periodic corporate examinations.

Internal Control over Financial Reporting

TIAA-CREF Life’s internal control over financial reporting is a process effected by those charged with governance, management and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the preparation of reliable financial statements in accordance with statutory accounting principles. TIAA-CREF Life’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the entity; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with statutory accounting principles, and the receipts and expenditures of the entity are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and those charged with governance; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention, or timely detection and correction of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the entity’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. Management assessed the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on the framework set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013 Framework). Based on that assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2014, TIAA-CREF Life’s internal control over financial reporting is effective based on the criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013 Framework).




David M. Anderson		Linda S. Dougherty
President and Chief Executive Officer		Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		74

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

To the Board of Directors of

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company

We have audited the accompanying statutory-basis financial statements of TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company, which comprise the statutory-basis statements of admitted assets, liabilities and capital and surplus as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the related statutory-basis statements of operations, of changes in capital and surplus and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014.

MANAGEMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the statutory-basis financial statements in accordance with the accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Management is also responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the statutory-basis financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITY

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the statutory-basis financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the statutory-basis financial statements are free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on our judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, we consider internal control relevant to the Company’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

BASIS FOR ADVERSE OPINION ON U.S. GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

As described in Note 2 to the statutory-basis financial statements, the statutory-basis financial statements are prepared by the Company on the basis of the accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the New York State Department of Financial Services, which is a basis of accounting other than accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

The effects on the statutory-basis financial statements of the variances between the statutory basis of accounting described in Note 2 and accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, although not reasonably determinable, are presumed to be material.

ADVERSE OPINION ON U.S. GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

In our opinion, because of the significance of the matter discussed in the Basis for Adverse Opinion on U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles section, the statutory-basis financial statements referred to above do not present fairly, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, or the results of its operations or its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014.

OPINION ON STATUTORY-BASIS OF ACCOUNTING

In our opinion, the statutory-basis financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the admitted assets, liabilities and capital and surplus of the Company as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the results of its operations, changes in capital and surplus and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014, in accordance with the accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the New York State Department of Financial Services described in Note 2.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

New York, New York

April 7, 2015


		75		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

STATUTORY–BASIS STATEMENTS OF ADMITTED ASSETS,

LIABILITIES AND CAPITAL AND SURPLUS


	December 31,
(in thousands)	2014			2013


ADMITTED ASSETS
Bonds	$	4,743,873		$	4,105,952
Preferred stocks		183			2,470
Common stocks		607			573
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments		90,507			114,882
Contract loans		16,077			10,467
Other long-term investments		10,847			12,773
Investment income due and accrued		43,297			39,261
Federal income tax recoverable from TIAA		86			—
Net deferred federal income tax asset		17,494			11,799
Other assets		56,943			53,881
Separate account assets		4,851,892			3,668,669

Total admitted assets	$	9,831,806		$	8,020,727


LIABILITIES, CAPITAL AND SURPLUS
Liabilities
Reserves for life and health, annuities and deposit-type contracts	$	4,550,556		$	3,914,277
Asset valuation reserve		27,305			17,937
Interest maintenance reserve		7,066			7,769
Federal income tax payable		—			2,516
Other amounts payable on reinsurance		28,647			32,088
Other liabilities		25,450			33,566
Separate account liabilities		4,838,207			3,638,741

Total liabilities		9,477,231			7,646,894


Capital and Surplus
Capital (2,500 shares of $1,000 par value common stock issued and outstanding)		2,500			2,500
Additional paid-in capital		357,500			357,500
Surplus (deficit)		(5,425	)		13,833

Total capital and surplus		354,575			373,833
Total liabilities, capital and surplus	$	9,831,806		$	8,020,727

See notes to statutory-basis financial statements


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		76

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

STATUTORY–BASIS STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS


	For the Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2014			2013			2012

REVENUES
Insurance and annuity premiums and other considerations	$	677,464		$	481,814		$	284,892
Net investment income		162,279			150,329			147,749
Commissions and expense allowances on reinsurance ceded		29,581			29,607			12,674
Reserve adjustments on reinsurance ceded		59,209			58,534			9,764
Other revenue		21,788			16,626			9,497
Total revenues	$	950,321		$	736,910		$	464,576


EXPENSES
Policy and contract benefits	$	181,624		$	118,156		$	131,742
Increase in policy and contract reserves		349,405			320,016			128,507
Insurance expenses and taxes (excluding Federal income taxes)		127,947			110,293			83,007
Commissions on premiums		34,937			31,785			5,366
Interest on deposit-type contracts		25,616			26,752			26,374
Net transfers to separate accounts		227,552			143,230			57,976
Other benefits and expenses		16,868			9,020			9,858
Total expenses	$	963,949		$	759,252		$	442,830


Income (loss) before federal income tax and net realized capital gains (losses)		(13,628	)		(22,342	)		21,746
Federal income tax expense		6,867			6,949			1,243
Net realized capital gains (losses) less capital gains taxes, after transfers to the interest maintenance reserve		2,969			(37	)		(2,360	)
Net income (loss)	$	(17,526	)	$	(29,328	)	$	18,143

See notes to statutory-basis financial statements


		77		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

STATUTORY–BASIS STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN CAPITAL AND SURPLUS


(in thousands)	Capital Stock		Additional Paid-In Capital		Surplus (Deficit)			Total
Balance, December 31, 2011	$	2,500	$	357,500	$	38,385		$	398,385
Net income		—		—		18,143			18,143
Net unrealized capital gains on investments		—		—		129			129
Change in asset valuation reserve		—		—		(3,570	)		(3,570	)
Change in surplus in separate accounts		—		—		1,978			1,978
Change in liability for reinsurance in unauthorized companies		—		—		(1,190	)		(1,190	)
Change in net deferred income tax		—		—		(7,005	)		(7,005	)
Change in non-admitted assets:
Deferred federal income tax asset		—		—		7,836			7,836
Deferred premium asset limitation		—		—		(1,775	)		(1,775	)
Balance, December 31, 2012	$	2,500	$	357,500	$	52,931		$	412,931

Net income (loss)		—		—		(29,328	)		(29,328	)
Net unrealized capital gains on investments		—		—		314			314
Change in asset valuation reserve		—		—		(3,773	)		(3,773	)
Change in surplus in separate accounts		—		—		(3,680	)		(3,680	)
Change in liability for reinsurance in unauthorized companies		—		—		(6,837	)		(6,837	)
Change in net deferred income tax		—		—		16,015			16,015
Change in non-admitted assets:
Deferred federal income tax asset		—		—		(10,488	)		(10,488	)
Deferred premium asset limitation		—		—		(1,321	)		(1,321	)
Balance, December 31, 2013	$	2,500	$	357,500	$	13,833		$	373,833

Net income (loss)		—		—		(17,526	)		(17,526	)
Net unrealized capital gains on investments		—		—		54			54
Change in asset valuation reserve		—		—		(9,368	)		(9,368	)
Change in surplus in separate accounts		—		—		3,663			3,663
Change in liability for reinsurance in unauthorized companies		—		—		(88	)		(88	)
Change in net deferred income tax		—		—		10,932			10,932
Change in non-admitted assets:
Deferred federal income tax asset		—		—		(5,237	)		(5,237	)
Deferred premium asset limitation		—		—		(1,638	)		(1,638	)
Other assets		—		—		(50	)		(50	)
Balance, December 31, 2014	$	2,500	$	357,500	$	(5,425	)	$	354,575

See notes to statutory-basis financial statements


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		78

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

STATUTORY–BASIS STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS


	For the Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2014			2013			2012

CASH FROM OPERATIONS
Insurance and annuity premiums and other considerations	$	670,596		$	500,895		$	288,626
Miscellaneous income		48,947			34,259			19,036
Net investment income		159,529			149,421			146,894

Total Receipts		879,072			684,575			454,556

Policy and contract benefits		120,851			76,543			131,364
Commissions and expenses paid		180,525			150,895			97,489
Federal income tax (benefit) expense		10,636			(4,426	)		7,097
Net transfers to separate accounts		228,279			144,632			59,157

Total Disbursements		540,291			367,644			295,107

Net cash from operations		338,781			316,931			159,449


CASH FROM INVESTMENTS
Proceeds from long-term investments sold, matured, or repaid:
Bonds		518,847			594,673			484,231
Stocks		2,500			—			5,129
Mortgage loans		—			—			13,726
Other invested assets		2,000			—			—
Net gains or (losses) on cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments		31			12			(8	)
Cost of investments acquired:
Bonds		1,135,774			1,014,981			992,311
Net increase in contract loans		5,610			3,338			2,901

Net cash from investments		(618,006	)		(423,634	)		(492,134	)


CASH FROM FINANCING AND OTHER
Net deposits on deposit-type contracts funds		259,540			127,392			317,384
Other cash provided (applied)		(4,690	)		6,240			(3,248	)

Net cash from financing and other		254,850			133,632			314,136

NET CHANGE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS		(24,375	)		26,929			(18,549	)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR		114,882			87,953			106,502

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS, END OF YEAR	$	90,507		$	114,882		$	87,953

See notes to statutory-basis financial statements


		79		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1—organization and operations

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company commenced operations as a legal reserve life insurance company under the insurance laws of the State of New York on December 18, 1996, under its former name, TIAA Life Insurance Company and changed its name to TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (“TIAA-CREF Life” or the “Company”) on May 1, 1998. TIAA-CREF Life is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (“TIAA” or the “Parent”), a legal reserve life insurance company established under the insurance laws of the State of New York in 1918.

The Company issues non-qualified annuity contracts with fixed and variable components, fixed and variable universal life contracts, funding agreements, book value separate account agreements, term-life insurance and single premium immediate annuities.

Note 2—significant accounting policies

BASIS OF PRESENTATION:

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on the basis of statutory accounting principles prescribed or permitted by the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS” or the “Department”); a comprehensive basis of accounting that differs from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). The Department requires insurance companies domiciled in the State of New York to prepare their statutory basis financial statements in accordance with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (“NAIC”) Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual (“NAIC SAP”), subject to any deviation prescribed or permitted by the Department (“New York SAP”).

The table below provides a reconciliation of the Company’s net income and capital and surplus between NAIC SAP and New York SAP annual statement filed with the Department.

The deferred premium asset limitation results from the Department requiring that any deferred premium asset established along with the corresponding mean reserve should be reduced by the proportionate amount reinsured on a coinsurance basis. Under this approach the deferred premium asset for reinsurance is adjusted based upon the premium mode of the direct policy rather than the premium mode of the reinsurance agreement.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		80

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

The additional reserve for term conversions results from the Department requiring in Regulation no. 147 (11NYCRR 98) Valuation on Life Insurance Reserves Section 98.4 that for any policy which guarantees renewal, or conversion to another policy, without evidence of insurability, additional reserves shall be held that account for excess mortality due to antiselection with appropriate margins to cover expenses and risk of moderately adverse deviations in experience.


	For The Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2014			2013			2012
Net Income, New York SAP	$	(17,526	)	$	(29,328	)	$	18,143
New York SAP Prescribed Practices:
Additional Reserves for:
Term Conversions		330			340			349
Deferred and Payout Annuities issued after 2000		—			—			—

Net Income, NAIC SAP	$	(17,196	)	$	(28,988	)	$	18,492

Capital and Surplus, New York SAP	$	354,575		$	373,833		$	412,931
New York SAP Prescribed Practices:
Deferred Premium Asset Limitation		30,706			29,068			27,747
Additional Reserves for:
Term Conversions		2,259			1,929			1,589
Deferred and Payout Annuities issued after 2000		1			2			2

Capital and Surplus, NAIC SAP	$	387,541		$	404,832		$	442,269

Accounting Principles Generally Accepted in the United States: The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) dictates the accounting principles for financial statements that are prepared in conformity with GAAP with applicable authoritative accounting pronouncements. As a result, the Company cannot refer to financial statements prepared in accordance with NAIC SAP and New York SAP as having been prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The primary differences between GAAP and NAIC SAP can be summarized as follows.

Under GAAP:

•

Investments in bonds considered to be “available for sale” are carried at fair value under GAAP rather than at amortized cost;

•

Impairments on securities (other than loan-backed and structured securities) due to credit losses are recorded as other-than-temporary impairments (“OTTI”) through earnings for the difference between amortized cost and discounted cash flows when a security is deemed impaired. Other declines in fair value related to factors other than credit are recorded as other comprehensive income, which is a separate component of stockholder’s equity. Under NAIC SAP, an impairment for such securities is recorded through earnings for the difference between amortized cost and fair value;

•

For loan-backed and structured securities that are other-than-temporarily impaired, declines in fair value related to factors other than credit are recorded as other comprehensive income, which is a separate component of stockholder’s equity. Under NAIC SAP, such declines in fair value are not recorded until a credit loss occurs;

•

Changes in the allowance for estimated uncollectible amounts related to mortgage loans are recorded through earnings under GAAP rather than as unrealized losses, which is a component of surplus under NAIC SAP;


		81		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

•

Changes in the value of certain other long-term investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting are recorded through earnings under GAAP rather than as unrealized gains (losses), which is a component of surplus under NAIC SAP;

•

Investments in wholly-owned subsidiaries, other entities under the control of the parent, and certain variable interest entities are consolidated in the parent’s financial statements rather than being carried at the parent’s share of the underlying GAAP equity or statutory surplus of a domestic insurance subsidiary;

•

The Asset Valuation Reserve (“AVR”) is eliminated as it is not recognized under GAAP. The AVR is established under NAIC SAP as a direct charge to surplus;

•

The Interest Maintenance Reserve (“IMR”) is eliminated as it is not recognized under GAAP. The realized gains and losses resulting from changes in interest rates are reported as a component of net income under GAAP rather than being deferred and subsequently amortized into income over the remaining expected life of the investment sold;

•

Certain assets designated as “non-admitted assets” and excluded from assets in the statutory balance sheet are included in the GAAP balance sheet;

•

Policy acquisition costs, such as commissions, and other costs incurred in connection with acquiring new business, are deferred and amortized over the expected lives of the policies issued under GAAP rather than being expensed when incurred;

•

Policy and contract reserves are based on estimates of expected mortality, morbidity, persistency and interest under GAAP rather than being based on statutory mortality, morbidity and interest requirements;

•

Deferred income taxes, subject to valuation allowance, include federal and state income taxes and changes in the deferred tax are reflected in earnings. Under NAIC SAP, deferred taxes exclude state income taxes and are admitted to the extent they can be realized within three years subject to a 15% limitation of capital and surplus with changes in the net deferred tax reflected as a component of surplus;

•

Contracts that do not subject the Company to risks arising from policyholder mortality or morbidity are reported as a deposit liability. Under NAIC SAP, contracts that have any mortality and morbidity risk, regardless of significance, and contracts with life contingent annuity purchase rate guarantees are classified as insurance contracts and amounts received under these contracts are reported as revenue;

•

Contracts that contain an embedded derivative are not bifurcated between components and are accounted for as part of the host contract, whereas under GAAP, the embedded derivative would be bifurcated from the host contract and accounted for separately;

•

Assets and liabilities are reported gross of reinsurance for GAAP and net of reinsurance under NAIC SAP. Certain reinsurance transactions are accounted for as financing transactions under GAAP and as reinsurance under NAIC SAP purposes. Transactions recorded as financing under GAAP have no impact on premiums or losses incurred, while under NAIC SAP, premiums paid to the reinsurer are recorded as ceded premiums (a reduction in revenue) and expected reimbursement for losses from the reinsurer are recorded as a reduction in losses;

•

When reserves ceded to an unauthorized reinsurer exceed the assets or letters of credit supporting the reserves no liability is established under GAAP. Under NAIC SAP, a liability is established and changes to these amounts are credited or charged directly to unassigned surplus (deficit).

The effects of these differences, while not determined, are presumed to be material.

Reclassifications: A reclassification of a prior year amount for amounts payable on reinsurance was made in the Statements of Admitted Assets, Liabilities and Capital and Surplus to conform to the 2014 presentation. The misclassification did not affect net income or surplus previously reported. Management concluded that the misclassification is not material to the previously issued financial statements.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		82

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

Use of Estimates: The preparation of the Company’s statutory-basis financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses at the date of the financial statements. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

The most significant estimates include those used in the recognition of other-than-temporary impairments, reserves for life and health insurance, annuities and deposit-type contracts and the valuation of deferred tax assets.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES:

The following is a summary of the significant accounting policies followed by the Company:

Investments: Publicly traded securities are accounted for as of the date the investments are purchased or sold (trade date). Other investments are recorded on the settlement date. Realized capital gains and losses on investment transactions are accounted for under the specific identification method. A realized loss is recorded when an impairment is considered to be other-than-temporary.

Bonds: Bonds are stated at amortized cost using the current effective interest method. Bonds in or near default (rated NAIC 6) are stated at the lower of amortized cost or fair value. Bonds the Company intends to sell prior to maturity (“held for sale”) are stated at the lower of amortized cost or fair value.

Included within bonds are loan-backed and structured securities. Estimated future cash flows and expected prepayment speeds are used to determine the amortization of loan-backed and structured securities under the prospective method. Expected future cash flows and prepayment speeds are evaluated quarterly. Certain loan-backed and structured securities are reported at the lower of cost or fair value as a result of the NAIC modeling process.

If it is determined that a decline in the fair value of a bond, excluding loan-backed and structured securities, is other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the bond is written down to fair value and the amount of the write down is accounted for as a realized loss. The new cost basis is not changed for subsequent recoveries in fair value. Future declines in fair value which are determined to be other-than-temporary are recorded as realized losses.

For loan-backed and structured securities, which the Company has the intent and ability to hold, when an OTTI has occurred because the Company does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security, the amount of the OTTI recognized as a realized loss is the difference between the security’s amortized cost basis and the present value of cash flows expected to be collected, discounted at the loan-backed or structured security’s effective interest rate.

For loan-backed and structured securities, when an OTTI has occurred because the Company intends to sell the security or the Company does not have the intent and ability to retain the security for a period of time sufficient to recover the amortized cost basis, the amount of the OTTI recognized is the difference between the security’s amortized cost basis and fair value at the balance sheet date.

In periods subsequent to the recognition of an OTTI for a loan-backed and structured security, the Company accounts for the other-than-temporarily impaired security as if the security had been purchased on the measurement date of the impairment. The difference between the new amortized cost basis and the cash flows expected to be collected is accreted as interest income in future periods based on prospective changes in cash flow estimates.

The fair values for publicly traded long term bond investments are generally determined using prices provided by third party pricing services. For privately placed long term bond investments without readily ascertainable


		83		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

market value, such values are determined with the assistance of independent pricing services utilizing a discounted cash flow methodology based on coupon rates, maturity provisions and credit assumptions.

Preferred Stocks: Preferred stocks are stated at amortized cost unless they have an NAIC rating designation of 4, 5, or 6 which are stated at the lower of amortized cost or fair value. The fair values of preferred stocks are determined using prices provided by third party pricing services or valuations from the NAIC. When it is determined that a decline in fair value of an investment is other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the investment is reduced to its fair value and the amount of the reduction is accounted for as a realized loss.

Common Stocks: Unaffiliated common stocks are stated at fair value, which is based on quoted market prices, where available. Changes in fair value are recorded through surplus as an unrealized gain or loss. For common stocks without quoted market prices, fair value is estimated using independent pricing services or internally developed pricing models. When it is determined that a decline in fair value of an investment is other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the investment is reduced to its fair value and the amount of the reduction is accounted for as a realized loss.

Other Long-term Investments: Other long-term investments include the Company’s investments in surplus notes, which are stated at amortized cost. All of the Company’s investments in surplus notes have an NAIC 1 rating designation. The carrying amount of the Company’s investments in surplus notes was, $9,688 thousand and $11,633 thousand at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

The Company monitors the effects of current and expected market conditions and other factors on these investments to identify and quantify any impairment in value. The Company assesses the investments for potential impairments by performing analysis between the carrying value and the cost basis of the investments. The Company evaluates recoverability of the asset to determine if OTTI is warranted. When it is determined that a decline in fair value of an investment is other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the investment is reduced to its fair value and the amount of the reduction is accounted for as a realized loss.

Investments in wholly-owned subsidiaries are stated at the value of their underlying net assets as follows: (1) domestic insurance subsidiaries are stated at the value of their underlying statutory surplus; (2) non-insurance subsidiaries are stated at the value of their underlying audited GAAP equity. Dividends and distributions from subsidiaries are recorded in investment income to the extent they are not in excess of the investee’s undistributed accumulated earnings and changes in the equity of subsidiaries are recorded directly to surplus as unrealized gains or losses.

Cash and Cash Equivalents: Cash includes cash on deposit and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are short-term, highly liquid investments, with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase, and are stated at amortized cost.

Short-Term Investments: Short-term investments (investments with remaining maturities of one year or less at the time of acquisition, excluding those investments classified as cash equivalents) that are not impaired are stated at amortized cost using the straight line interest method. Short-term investments that are impaired are stated at the lower of amortized cost or fair value.

Contract Loans: Contract loans are stated at outstanding principal balances. The excess of unpaid contract loan balances over the cash surrender value, if any, is non-admitted and reflected as an adjustment to surplus. Interest income on such contract loans is recorded as earned using the contractually agreed upon interest rate.

Investment Income Due and Accrued: Investment income due is investment income earned and legally due to be paid to the Company at the reporting date. Investment income accrued is investment income earned but not legally due to be paid to the Company until subsequent to the reporting date. The Company writes off


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		84

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

amounts deemed uncollectible as a charge against investment income in the period such determination is made. Amounts deemed collectible, but over 90 days past due for any invested asset except mortgage loans in default are non-admitted. Amounts deemed collectible, but over 180 days past due for mortgage loans in default are non-admitted. The Company accrues interest income on impaired loans to the extent it is deemed collectible.

Separate Accounts: Separate Accounts are established in conformity with insurance laws and are segregated from the Company’s general account. The assets of the separate accounts represent segregated funds administered by the Company for the exclusive benefit of separate account contract holders. Separate account assets are accounted for at fair value, except the Stable Value Separate Account (“SVSA”) which supports book value separate account agreements, in which case the assets are accounted for at amortized cost in accordance with NYDFS guidance. Separate account liabilities reflect the contractual obligations of the insurer arising out of the provisions of the insurance contract.

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translation: Investments denominated in foreign currencies and foreign currency contracts are valued in U.S. dollars, based on exchange rates at the end of the relevant period. Investment transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the exchange rates prevailing on the respective transaction dates. All other asset and liability accounts denominated in foreign currencies are adjusted to reflect exchange rates at the end of the relevant period. Realized and unrealized gains and losses due to foreign exchange transactions and translation adjustments are not separately reported but are collectively included in realized and unrealized capital gains and losses, respectively.

Non-Admitted Assets: For statutory accounting purposes, certain assets are designated as non-admitted assets. The non-admitted portion of the Deferred Federal Income Tax (“DFIT”) asset was $32,123 thousand and $26,886 thousand at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The non-admitted portion of deferred premium assets was $30,706 thousand and $29,068 thousand at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Changes in non-admitted assets are charged or credited directly to surplus.

Insurance and Annuity Premiums: Life insurance premiums are recognized as revenue over the premium-paying period of the related policies. Annuity considerations are recognized as revenue when received. Deposits on deposit-type contracts are recorded directly as a liability when received. Expenses incurred when acquiring new business are charged to operations as incurred.

Reserves for Life and Health Insurance, Annuities and Deposit-type Contracts: Policy and contract reserves are determined in accordance with standard valuation methods approved by the Department and are computed in accordance with standard actuarial methodology. The reserves established utilize assumptions for interest, mortality and other risks insured. Such reserves are established to provide for adequate contractual benefits guaranteed under policy and contract provisions.

Liabilities for deposit-type contracts, which do not contain any life contingencies, are equal to deposits received and interest credited to the benefit of contract holders, less surrenders or withdrawals (that represent a return to the contract holders) plus additional reserves (if any) necessitated by actuarial regulations.

The Company performed Asset Adequacy Analysis in order to test the adequacy of its reserves in light of the assets supporting such reserves and determined that its reserves were sufficient to meet its obligations.

Interest Maintenance Reserve: The IMR defers recognition of realized capital gains and losses resulting from changes in the general level of interest rates. These gains and losses are amortized into investment income over the expected remaining life of the investments sold. The IMR is calculated in accordance with the NAIC Annual Statement Instructions for Life and Accident and Health Insurance Companies.


		85		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

A realized gain or loss on each bond sold, excluding loan-backed and structured securities, is interest-related if the security’s NAIC rating did not change by more than one classification from the date of purchase to the date of sale, and its NAIC rating was never a 6 during the holding period.

A realized gain or loss on each preferred stock sold is interest-related if the security did not have an NAIC rating of 4, 5 or 6 at any time during the holding period and the NAIC rating did not change by more than one classification from the date of purchase to the date of sale.

A realized gain or loss on each mortgage loan sold may be interest-related if interest is not more than 90 days past due, not in the process of foreclosure or voluntary conveyance, or the mortgage loan was not restructured over the prior two years.

A realized gain or loss on each derivative investment sold is interest-related based on the characteristics of the underlying invested asset.

For loan-backed and structured securities, realized gains or losses resulting from sale transactions and realized losses resulting from OTTI are bifurcated between IMR and AVR based upon the present value of cash flows and amortized cost at the time of the transaction.

Asset Valuation Reserve: The AVR is established to offset potential credit-related investment losses from bonds, stocks, mortgage loans, real estate, derivatives and other long-term investments. Changes in AVR are recorded directly to surplus. The AVR is calculated in accordance with the NAIC Annual Statement Instructions for Life and Accident and Health Insurance Companies.

Realized gains or losses resulting from the sale of U.S. Government securities and securities of agencies which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government are exempt from the AVR.

A realized gain or loss on each bond sold, excluding loan-backed and structured securities, is non-interest-related if the security’s NAIC rating changed by more than one classification from the date of purchase to the date of sale, or its NAIC rating was a 6 at any time during the holding period.

A realized gain or loss on each preferred stock sold is non-interest-related if the security had an NAIC rating of 4, 5 or 6 at any time during the holding period or the NAIC rating changed by more than one classification from the date of purchase to the date of sale.

A realized gain or loss on each mortgage loan sold is non-interest-related if interest is more than 90 days past due, in the process of foreclosure or voluntary conveyance, or the mortgage loan was restructured over the prior two years.

A realized gain or loss on each derivative investment sold is non-interest-related based on the characteristics of the underlying invested asset.

OTTI for non-loan-backed and structured securities, stocks, mortgage loans and other long-term investments are considered non-interest related realized losses and included in the AVR calculation.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		86

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

Note 3—long term bonds, preferred stocks and common stocks

The book/adjusted carrying value, estimated fair value, excess of fair value over book/adjusted carrying value and excess of book/adjusted carrying value over fair value of long-term bonds and preferred stocks at December 31 are shown below (in thousands):


	2014
			Excess of
	Book/ Adjusted Carrying Value		Fair Value Over Book/ Adjusted Carrying Value		Book/ Adjusted Carrying Value Over Fair Value			Estimated Fair Value
Bonds:
U.S. governments	$	376,839	$	9,001	$	(3,021	)	$	382,819
All other governments		18,623		—		(265	)		18,358
States, territories & possessions		59,625		2,056		(191	)		61,490
Political subdivisions of states, territories, & possessions		11,175		134		(232	)		11,077
Special revenue & special assessment, non-guaranteed agencies & government		344,186		13,850		(2,629	)		355,407
Industrial & miscellaneous		3,918,679		213,713		(18,154	)		4,114,238
Credit tenant loans		6,449		645		—			7,094
Hybrids		8,297		153		—			8,450
Total bonds		4,743,873		239,552		(24,492	)		4,958,933
Preferred stocks		183		1,497		—			1,680
Total bonds and preferred stocks	$	4,744,056	$	241,049	$	(24,492	)	$	4,960,613


	2013
			Excess of
(in thousands)	Book/ Adjusted Carrying Value		Fair Value Over Book/ Adjusted Carrying Value		Book/ Adjusted Carrying Value Over Fair Value			Estimated Fair Value
Bonds:
U.S. governments	$	279,098	$	6,748	$	(8,860	)	$	276,986
All other governments		19,402		—		(443	)		18,959
States, territories & possessions		38,287		357		(1,666	)		36,978
Political subdivisions of states, territories, & possessions		13,727		71		(860	)		12,938
Special revenue & special assessment, non-guaranteed agencies & government		322,629		13,348		(7,113	)		328,864
Industrial & miscellaneous		3,417,454		111,127		(55,722	)		3,472,859
Credit tenant loans		7,046		704		—			7,750
Hybrids		8,309		123		—			8,432
Total bonds		4,105,952		132,478		(74,664	)		4,163,766
Preferred stocks		2,470		3,859		—			6,329
Total bonds and preferred stocks	$	4,108,422	$	136,337	$	(74,664	)	$	4,170,095


		87		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

Impairment Review Process: All securities are subjected to the Company’s process for identifying OTTI. The Company writes down securities that it deems to have an OTTI in value in the period that the securities are deemed to be impaired, based on management’s case-by-case evaluation of the decline in value and prospects for recovery. Management considers a wide range of factors in the impairment evaluation process, including, but not limited to, the following: (a) the length of time the fair value has been below amortized cost; (b) the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer; (c) whether the debtor is current on contractually obligated interest and principal payments; (d) the intent and ability of the Company to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value or repayment; (e) information obtained from regulators, ratings agencies and various public sources; (f) the potential for impairments in an entire industry sector or sub-sector; (g) the potential for impairments in certain economically-depressed geographic locations; and (h) the potential for impairment based on an estimated discounted cash flow analysis for loan-backed and structured securities. Where impairment is considered to be other-than-temporary, the Company recognizes a write-down as a realized loss and adjusts the cost basis of the security accordingly. The Company does not change the revised cost basis for subsequent recoveries in value. Once an impairment write-down has been recorded, the Company continues to review the impaired security for appropriate valuation on an ongoing basis.

Unrealized Losses on Bonds and Preferred Stocks: The gross unrealized losses and estimated fair values for bonds and preferred stocks by the length of time that individual securities had been in a continuous unrealized loss position are shown in the table below (in thousands):


	Less than twelve months							Twelve months or more
	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Loss			Estimated Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Loss			Estimated Fair Value
December 31, 2014
All other bonds	$	488,980	$	(8,767	)	$	480,213	$	490,794	$	(12,506	)	$	478,288
Loaned-backed and structured bonds		30,151		(96	)		30,055		116,447		(3,123	)		113,324
Total bonds	$	519,131	$	(8,863	)	$	510,268	$	607,241	$	(15,629	)	$	591,612
Preferred stocks		—		—			—		—		—			—
Total bonds and preferred stocks	$	519,131	$	(8,863	)	$	510,268	$	607,241	$	(15,629	)	$	591,612



	Less than twelve months							Twelve months or more
(in thousands)	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Loss			Estimated Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Loss			Estimated Fair Value
December 31, 2013
All other bonds	$	1,400,475	$	(58,205	)	$	1,342,270	$	112,629	$	(9,430	)	$	103,199
Loaned-backed and structured bonds		150,655		(4,630	)		146,025		33,140		(2,399	)		30,741
Total bonds	$	1,551,130	$	(62,835	)	$	1,488,295	$	145,769	$	(11,829	)	$	133,940
Preferred stocks		—		—			—		—		—			—
Total bonds and preferred stocks	$	1,551,130	$	(62,835	)	$	1,488,295	$	145,769	$	(11,829	)	$	133,940

As of December 31, 2014, the categories of securities where the estimated fair value declined and remained below cost for less than twelve months were concentrated in oil and gas (56%), mining (17%) and manufacturing (9%). The preceding percentages were calculated as a percentage of the gross unrealized loss.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		88

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

As of December 31, 2014, the categories of securities where the estimated fair value declined and remained below cost for twelve months or greater were concentrated in mining (20%), U.S. and other governments (18%), and residential mortgage-backed securities (17%). The preceding percentages were calculated as a percentage of the gross unrealized loss.

As of December 31, 2013, the categories of securities where the estimated fair value declined and remained below cost for less than twelve months were concentrated in manufacturing (19%), U.S. and other governments (12%) and public utilities (11%). The preceding percentages were calculated as a percentage of the gross unrealized loss.

As of December 31, 2013, the categories of securities where the estimated fair value declined and remained below cost for twelve months or greater were concentrated in communication (27%), U.S. and other governments (14%), and commercial mortgage-backed securities (12%). The preceding percentages were calculated as a percentage of the gross unrealized loss.

Based upon the Company’s current evaluation of these securities in accordance with its impairment policy, the Company has concluded that these securities are not other-than-temporarily impaired. Additionally, the Company currently intends and has the ability to hold the securities with unrealized losses for a period of time sufficient for them to recover.

Scheduled Maturities of Bonds: The carrying value and estimated fair value of bonds, categorized by contractual maturity, are shown below. Bonds not due at a single maturity date have been included in the following table based on the year of final maturity. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are shown separately in the table below, as they are not due at a single maturity date (dollars in thousands):


	December 31, 2014							December 31, 2013
	Carrying Value		% of Total			Estimated Fair Value		Carrying Value		% of Total			Estimated Fair Value
Due in one year or less	$	274,922		5.8	%	$	277,845	$	355,309		8.7	%	$	359,893
Due after one year through five years		1,419,864		29.9			1,441,372		1,354,124		33.0			1,378,917
Due after five years through ten years		1,224,277		25.8			1,262,722		1,002,342		24.4			1,003,560
Due after ten years		1,302,832		27.5			1,437,790		937,191		22.8			951,935
Subtotal		4,221,895		89.0			4,419,729		3,648,966		88.9			3,694,305
Residential mortgage-backed securities		293,170		6.2			302,739		266,957		6.5			276,293
Commercial mortgage-backed securities		113,715		2.4			117,285		80,522		1.9			80,900
Asset-backed securities		115,093		2.4			119,180		109,507		2.7			112,268
Subtotal		521,978		11.0			539,204		456,986		11.1			469,461
Total	$	4,743,873		100.0	%	$	4,958,933	$	4,105,952		100.0	%	$	4,163,766

For the year ended December 31, 2014, the preceding table includes no NAIC 6 long-term bond investments.

For the year ended December 31, 2014, the preceding table includes sub-prime mortgage investments totaling $8,407 thousand under residential mortgage-backed securities. $6,624 thousand or 79% of the sub-prime securities were rated investment grade (NAIC 1 and 2).

For the year ended December 31, 2013, the preceding table includes no NAIC 6 long-term bond investments.

For the year ended December 31, 2013, the preceding table includes sub-prime mortgage investments totaling $10,456 thousand under residential mortgage-backed securities. 100% of the sub-prime securities were rated investment grade (NAIC 1 and 2).


		89		TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

Bond Diversification: The carrying values of long-term bond investments were diversified by the following classification at December 31 as follows:


	2014			2013
Manufacturing		24.5	%		23.6	%
Finance and financial services		15.3			16.5
Public utilities		12.2			12.3
Oil and gas		7.7			8.6
U.S. and other governments		7.1			5.7
Residential mortgage-backed securities		6.2			6.5
Transportation		5.5			4.2
Communication		3.9			4.0
Mining		3.8			4.4
Services		3.2			2.6
Revenue and Special Obligation		2.7			2.7
Commercial mortgage backed securities		2.4			2.0
Asset Backed Securities		2.4			2.7
Real estate investment trusts		1.9			2.3
Retail and wholesale trade		1.2			1.9
Total		100.0	%		100.0	%

Exchanges: The Company acquired bonds and stocks through exchanges aggregating $67,455 thousand and $120,379 thousand during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. When exchanging securities, through non-monetary transactions, the Company generally accounts for assets at their fair value with any gains or losses realized at the date of exchange, unless a SEC Rule 144A security is exchanged for an equivalent unrestricted security. In these instances, the unrestricted security is recorded at the carrying value of the original 144A security.

Loan-backed and Structured Securities: The near-term prepayment assumptions for loan-backed and structured securities are based on historical averages drawing from performance experience for a particular transaction and may vary by security type. The long-term assumptions are adjusted based on expected performance.

The following represents OTTI on securities with the intent to sell or the inability to retain for the year ended December 31, 2014 (in thousands):


	1		2				3
	Amortized Cost Basis Before OTTI		OTTI Recognized in Loss
	Amortized Cost Basis Before OTTI		2a Interest		2b Non-interest		Fair Value 1-(2a+2b)
OTTI recognized
a. Intent to sell	$	2,922	$	—	$	72	$	2,850
b. Inability to retain		—		—		—		—
Total	$	2,922	$	—	$	72	$	2,850

The Company had no OTTI on securities which it lacked the ability to hold or had the intent to sell for the year ended December 31, 2013.


TIAA-CREF Investment Horizon Annuity Prospectus		90

TIAA-CREF LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY • DECEMBER 31, 2014

NOTES TO STATUTORY–BASIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – (continued)

The following table represents loan-backed and structured securities currently held by the Company that recognized OTTI as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):

CUSIP

Book/Adj.
Carrying Value
Amortized Cost
Before Current
Period OTTI

Present Value

of Projected

Cash Flows

Recognized
Other-Than-
Temporary
Impairment

Amortized

Cost After
Other-Than-
Temporary
Impairment

Fair Value as of
Impairment

Date

Date of
Financial
Statement
Where
Reported

126171AQ0

$2,922

$—¹

$(72)

$2,850

03/31/2014

Total

$(72)

TIAA-CREF Life Insurance CO S-1