SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
OCTOBER 1, 2011
TIAA-CREF MONEY MARKET FUND
of the TIAA-CREF Funds
Class Ticker: Retail TIRXX Retirement TIEXX Premier TPPXX Institutional TCIXX
Before you invest, you may want to review the Funds prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Funds prospectus and other information about the Fund online at www.tiaa-cref.org/tcfmm. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800 223-1200 or by sending an e-mail request to disclosure@tiaa-cref.org. The Funds prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (SAI), each dated October 1, 2011, as subsequently supplemented, and the sections of the Funds shareholder reports dated September 30, 2010 and March 31, 2011 from Summary Portfolio of Investments through Notes to Financial Statements, are incorporated into this Summary Prospectus by reference and may be obtained free of charge at the website, phone number or e-mail address noted above.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund seeks high current income consistent with maintaining liquidity and preserving capital.
FEES AND EXPENSES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund:
SHAREHOLDER FEES (deducted directly from gross amount of transaction)
Retail | Retirement
| Premier | Institutional | |||||
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | ||||
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | ||||
Maximum
Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | ||||
Redemption or Exchange Fee | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | ||||
Account Maintenance Fee | $15.00 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund ■ Summary Prospectus 1
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
|
| Retail Class |
| Retirement Class |
| Premier Class |
| Institutional Class |
|
Management Fees | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.10% | |||||
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) Fees1 | 0.12% | | 0.15% | | |||||
Other Expenses | 0.17% | 0.30% | 0.05% | 0.05% | |||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.39% | 0.40% | 0.30% | 0.15% | |||||
Waivers and Expense Reimbursements2 | | | | | |||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement | 0.39% |
| 0.40% |
| 0.30% |
| 0.15% |
| |
1 | The Retail Class of the Fund has adopted a Distribution (12b-1) Plan that reimburses the Funds distributor, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc. (TPIS), for its expenses in providing distribution, promotional and shareholder services to Retail Class shares at the annual rate of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets attributable to Retail Class shares. | ||||||||
2 | Under the Funds expense reimbursement arrangements, the Funds investment adviser, Teachers Advisors, Inc. (Advisors), has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for any Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and extraordinary expenses) that exceed: (i) 0.50% of average daily net assets for Retail Class shares; (ii) 0.40% of average daily net assets for Retirement Class shares; (iii) 0.30% of average daily net assets for Premier Class shares; and (iv) 0.15% of average daily net assets for Institutional Class shares of the Fund. These expense reimbursement arrangements will continue through at least September 30, 2012, unless changed with approval of the Board of Trustees. |
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Funds operating expenses, before expense reimbursements, remain the same. The example assumes that the Funds expense reimbursement agreement will remain in place through September 30, 2012 but that there will be no waiver or expense reimbursement agreement in effect thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| Retail Class |
| Retirement Class |
| Premier Class |
| Institutional Class |
| ||||
1 Year | $ | 40 | $ | 41 | $ | 31 | $ | 15 | ||||
3 Years | $ | 125 | $ | 128 | $ | 97 | $ | 48 | ||||
5 Years | $ | 219 | $ | 224 | $ | 169 | $ | 85 | ||||
10 Years | $ | 493 |
| $ | 505 |
| $ | 381 |
| $ | 192 |
|
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Fund invests in high-quality, short-term money market instruments. Generally, the Fund seeks to maintain a share value of $1.00 per share. The Funds investments will be made in accordance with the applicable rules
2 Summary Prospectus ■ TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund
governing the quality, maturity and diversification of securities and other instruments held by money market funds.
The Fund invests in debt obligations with a remaining maturity of 397 days or less, such as:
(1) Commercial paper (short-term IOUs issued by corporations and others) or variable-rate, floating-rate or variable-amount securities of domestic or foreign companies;
(2) Obligations of commercial banks, savings banks, savings and loan associations, and foreign banks whose latest annual financial statements show more than $1 billion in assets. These include certificates of deposit, time deposits, bankers acceptances and other short-term debt;
(3) Securities issued by, or whose principal and interest are guaranteed by, the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities;
(4) Other debt obligations issued by domestic or foreign companies;
(5) Repurchase agreements involving securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, or involving certificates of deposit, commercial paper or bankers acceptances;
(6) Obligations issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities; and/or
(7) Obligations of international organizations (and related government agencies) designated or supported by U.S. or foreign government agencies to promote economic development or international banking.
The Fund maintains a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life to maturity of 120 days or less. The Fund limits its investments to securities that present minimal credit risk and are rated in the highest rating categories for short-term instruments. The Fund will only purchase money market instruments that at the time of purchase are First Tier Securities, that is, instruments rated within the highest short-term rating category by at least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs), or rated within the highest short-term rating category by one NRSRO if it is the only NRSRO to have issued a rating for the security, or unrated securities of comparable quality or Government Securities as such term is defined by the applicable rules governing money market funds. The Fund can also invest up to 30% of its assets in money market and debt instruments of foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars.
The above list of investments is not exclusive and the Fund may make other investments consistent with its investment objective and policies.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS
You could lose money over short or long periods by investing in this Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund, due to the nature of the Funds portfolio holdings, typically is subject to the following principal investment risks:
· Current Income RiskThe risk that the income the Fund receives may fall as a result of a decline in interest rates. In a low interest rate environment,
TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund ■ Summary Prospectus 3
the Fund may not be able to achieve a positive or zero yield or maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share.
· Market Volatility, Liquidity and Valuation Risk (types of Market Risk)The risk that volatile or dramatic reductions in trading activity make it difficult for the Fund to properly value its investments and that the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an investment at an attractive price, if at all.
· Issuer Risk (often called Financial Risk)The risk that the issuers earnings prospects and overall financial position will deteriorate, causing a decline in the value of its financial instruments over short or extended periods of time.
· Credit Risk (a type of Company Risk)The risk that a decline in a companys financial position may prevent it from making principal and interest payments on fixed-income securities when due.
· Income Volatility RiskThe risk that the level of current income from a portfolio of fixed-income investments declines in certain interest rate environments.
· Interest Rate Risk (a type of Market Risk)The risk that increases in interest rates can cause the prices of fixed-income investments to decline. This risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in longer duration fixed-income investments.
· Fixed-Income Foreign Investment RiskInvestment in fixed-income securities or financial instruments of foreign issuers involves increased risks due to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments. These developments may impact the ability of a foreign debt issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its debt obligations to the Fund or impair the Funds ability to enforce its rights against the foreign debt issuer. These risks are heightened in emerging or developing markets. Foreign investments may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than investments in U.S. issuers.
Although the Fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. There can be no assurances that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. You should not consider the Fund to be a complete investment program. Please see the non-summary portion of the prospectus for more detailed information about the risks described above.
PAST PERFORMANCE
The following chart and table help illustrate some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year. The bar chart shows the annual total returns of the Institutional Class of the Fund, before taxes, in each full calendar year for the last ten years. Because the expenses vary across share classes, the performance of the Institutional Class will vary from the other share classes. Below the bar chart are the best and
4 Summary Prospectus ■ TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund
worst returns of the Institutional Class for a calendar quarter during the preceding ten-year period. The performance table following the bar chart shows the Funds average annual total returns for the Institutional Class, Retirement Class, Premier Class and Retail Class over the one-year, five-year, ten-year and since-inception periods (where applicable) ended December 31, 2010, and how those returns compare to those of the Funds peer group average.
The returns shown below reflect previous agreements by the Funds investment adviser to waive or reimburse the Fund for certain fees and expenses. Without these waivers and reimbursements, the returns of the Fund would have been lower. Past performance of the Fund is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The peer group average listed below is unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in the peer group average. The returns for the peer group average reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes.
For current performance information of each share class, including performance to the most recent month-end, please visit www.tiaa-cref.org.
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES (%)
The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on June 30, 2011, was 0.04%.
Best quarter: 1.39%, for the quarter ended March 31, 2001. Worst quarter: 0.02%, for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.
TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund ■ Summary Prospectus 5
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
For the Periods Ended December 31, 2010
| Inception Date |
| One Year |
|
| Five Years |
|
| Ten Years |
|
|
Institutional Class | 7/1/99 | $ | $ | $ | |||||||
Return Before Taxes | 0.11 | % | 2.72 | % | 2.50 | % | |||||
Retail Class | 3/31/06 | ||||||||||
Return Before Taxes | 0.00 | % | 2.63 | %* | 2.45 | %* | |||||
Retirement Class | 3/31/06 | ||||||||||
Return Before Taxes | 0.00 | % | 2.52 | %* | 2.40 | %* | |||||
Premier Class | 9/30/09 | ||||||||||
Return Before Taxes |
|
| 0.00 | % |
| 2.69 | %* |
| 2.49 | %* |
|
iMoneyNet Money Fund Report AveragesAll Taxable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
| 0.04 | % |
| 2.27 | % |
| 2.03 | % |
|
Current performance of the Funds shares may be higher or lower than that shown above.
Beginning August 18, 2009, part or all of the 12b-1 distribution expenses of the Retail Class of the Fund are not being reimbursed to the Funds distributor. Advisors is also reimbursing certain other fund expenses. Also, part or all of the service fees of the Retirement Class of the Fund are being voluntarily waived. As of October 1, 2009, part or all of the 12b-1 distribution expenses of the Premier Class of the Fund are being voluntarily waived. Without these changes, the total returns and 7-day current and effective net annualized yields for these share classes would have been lower. This suspension of reimbursement and the addition of waivers are voluntary and may be discontinued at any time without notice.
* The performance shown for the Retail, Premier and Retirement Classes that is prior to their inception dates is based on performance of the Funds Institutional Class. The performance for these periods has not been restated to reflect higher expenses of the Retail, Premier and Retirement Classes. If those expenses had been reflected, the performance would have been lower.
For the Funds most current 7-day yield, please call the Fund at 800 842-2252.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser. The Funds investment adviser is Teachers Advisors, Inc.
Portfolio Managers. The following people manage the Fund on a day-to-day basis:
Name: | Michael Ferraro, CFA | Joseph Rolston |
Title: | Director | Director |
Experience on Fund: | since 1999 | since 2011 |
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Retail Class shares are available for purchase through certain financial intermediaries or by contacting the Fund directly at 800 223-1200 or www.tiaa-cref.org. Retirement Class and Premier Class shares are generally available for
6 Summary Prospectus ■ TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund
purchase through employee benefit plans or other types of savings plans or accounts. Institutional Class shares are available for purchase directly from the Fund by certain eligible investors or through financial intermediaries.
· The minimum initial investment for Retail Class shares is $2,000 for Traditional IRA, Roth IRA and Coverdell accounts and $2,500 for all other account types. Subsequent investments for all account types must be at least $100.
· There is no minimum initial or subsequent investment for Retirement Class shares. Retirement Class shares are primarily offered through employer-sponsored employee benefit plans.
· There is a $100 million aggregate plan size and $1 million initial minimum plan-level investment requirement for Premier Class shares. Premier Class shares are primarily offered through certain financial intermediaries and employer-sponsored employee benefit plans.
· The minimum initial investment is $2 million and the minimum subsequent investment is $1,000 for Institutional Class shares, unless an investor purchases shares by or through financial intermediaries that have entered into an appropriate agreement with the Fund or its affiliates.
Redeeming Shares. You can redeem (sell) your shares of the Fund at any time. If your shares are held through a third party, please contact that person for applicable redemption requirements. If your shares are held directly with the Fund, contact the Fund directly in writing or by telephone.
Exchanging Shares. You can exchange shares of the Fund for the same class of shares of any other funds offered by the TIAA-CREF Funds at any time.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund intends to make distributions to shareholders that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains. Distributions made to tax-exempt shareholders or shareholders who hold Fund shares in a tax-deferred account are generally not subject to income tax in the current year, but redemptions made from tax-deferred accounts may be subject to income tax.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER
FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
TIAA-CREF Money Market Fund ■ Summary Prospectus 7
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