Administration January 7, 2007

Survey: SRI Important to Many TIAA-CREF Investors

July 13, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Many TIAA-CREF participants want their social values to be reflected in their investments, according to a new survey.
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A TIAA-CREF news release said that 27% of participants in the CREF Social Choice Account (SCA) strongly agree and a total of 83% agree with the statement that “ensuring that my investment decisions reflect my personal values about social and environmental impacts” is most important when making investment decisions.  About 15% of non-SCA participants said they strongly agree with this statement.

Among the findings, the study concluded:

  • Financial return is a strong priority for TIAA-CREF participants. Forty-two percent of participants who are not invested in the CREF Social Choice Account (SCA), as well as 34% who are, strongly agree that financial return is most important when making investment decisions.
  • SCA and non-SCA participants have slightly different views on SRI investment strategies. Among SCA participants, social screening is most important (81% said it was important, 38% very important), followed almost equally by community investing (74% said it was important, 21% very important) and shareholder activism (70% said it was important, 26% very important).

Washington-based Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research conducted the study in February 2006, including 1,002 interviews with TIAA-CREF Participants: 501 with those who invest in the CREF Social Choice Account (SCA) and 501 who do not. 

The study is  here .

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