Whether you are just starting to invest in your future or already participate in a retirement plan, setting up your own plan allocations involves some important decisions.

If you like to keep things simple and would feel most comfortable knowing that professional managers are automatically adjusting your portfolio to keep it on track with your retirement time horizon, then a TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Fund may be right for you. Funds are available for target retirement years in five-year increments. All you need to do is pick a single Lifecycle Fund that's closest to your estimated year of retirement.

Each fund's investments automatically adjust from a more aggressive to a more conservative allocation as the target retirement date approaches. Each Lifecycle Fund provides a ready-made diversified portfolio using TIAA-CREF mutual funds as underlying investments, which include stocks and fixed income. Please keep in mind that Lifecycle Funds share the risks associated with their underlying investments. Be sure to review the prospectus before investing.

If you prefer to develop your own portfolio by choosing among investment options in different asset classes to match your time horizon and risk tolerance, you may want to Build Your Own Portfolio.

If you are not sure which strategy is right for you, consider using the suggested guidelines set up by TIAA-CREF to help simplify the process. We recommend that you start by asking yourself which investing strategy is right for you.