TFITX vs. TIREX

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

TFITX (TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Index 2065 Fund) and TIREX (TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund Institutional Class) are both mutual funds - TFITX is a Target Retirement Date fund managed by TIAA, while TIREX is a REIT fund managed by TIAA. Over the past 5 years, TFITX returned 10.07%/yr vs 2.10%/yr for TIREX. Their 0.60 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. TFITX charges 0.11%/yr vs 0.47%/yr for TIREX.

Performance

TFITX vs. TIREX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Index 2065 Fund (TFITX) and TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund Institutional Class (TIREX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TFITX achieves a 10.42% return, which is significantly lower than TIREX's 15.90% return.

TFITX

• 1D: 1.98%
• 1M: -0.54%
• 6M: 7.23%
• YTD: 10.42%
• 1Y: 22.09%
• 3Y*: 17.05%
• 5Y*: 10.07%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 12.87%

TIREX

• 1D: -1.12%
• 1M: 1.54%
• 6M: 13.91%
• YTD: 15.90%
• 1Y: 19.11%
• 3Y*: 9.72%
• 5Y*: 2.10%
• 10Y*: 6.13%
• ALL TIME*: 9.20%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
TFITX TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Index 2065 Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
TIREX TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund Institutional Class	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

TFITX vs. TIREX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
TFITX TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Index 2065 Fund	10.42%	21.24%	15.76%	21.16%	-17.62%	18.06%	10.38%
TIREX TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund Institutional Class	15.90%	2.10%	5.30%	12.16%	-28.74%	39.39%	4.21%

Correlation

The correlation between TFITX and TIREX is 0.22, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.22
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.46
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.59
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 14, 2020	0.60

Over the past year, the correlation between TFITX and TIREX has dropped to 0.22 - well below their long-term average of 0.60, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

TFITX vs. TIREX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

TFITX

TFITX Risk / Return Rank: 67
TFITX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
TFITX Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
TFITX Omega Ratio Rank: 62
TFITX Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
TFITX Martin Ratio Rank: 77

TIREX

TIREX Risk / Return Rank: 50
TIREX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 46
TIREX Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
TIREX Omega Ratio Rank: 42
TIREX Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
TIREX Martin Ratio Rank: 56

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

TFITX vs. TIREX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Index 2065 Fund (TFITX) and TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund Institutional Class (TIREX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	TFITX	TIREX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.55	1.25	+0.30
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.19	1.79	+0.40
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.22	+0.06
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.23	2.00	+0.23
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	9.37	7.24	+2.13

TFITX vs. TIREX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TFITX Sharpe Ratio is 1.55, which is comparable to the TIREX Sharpe Ratio of 1.25. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TFITX and TIREX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

TFITX vs. TIREX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TFITX drawdown since its inception was -25.64%, smaller than the maximum TIREX drawdown of -74.18%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TFITX and TIREX.

Drawdown Indicators

	TFITX	TIREX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-25.64%	-74.18%	+48.54%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.12%	-8.55%	-0.57%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-15.56%	-17.95%	+2.39%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.64%	-35.67%	+10.03%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-39.26%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.90%	-2.11%	+0.21%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.17%	-13.41%	+8.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.17%	2.44%	-0.27%

Volatility

TFITX vs. TIREX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Index 2065 Fund (TFITX) is 3.87%, while TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund Institutional Class (TIREX) has a volatility of 4.36%. This indicates that TFITX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than TIREX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TFITX	TIREX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.87%	4.36%	-0.49%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.93%	10.89%	+0.04%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.11%	13.71%	-0.60%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.17%	18.89%	-3.72%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.87%	20.19%	-5.32%

TFITX vs. TIREX - Expense Ratio Comparison

TFITX has a 0.11% expense ratio, which is lower than TIREX's 0.47% expense ratio.

Dividends

TFITX vs. TIREX - Dividend Comparison

TFITX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.21%, less than TIREX's 2.37% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
TFITX TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Index 2065 Fund	2.21%	2.44%	2.12%	2.05%	2.09%	1.84%	1.55%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
TIREX TIAA-CREF Real Estate Securities Fund Institutional Class	2.37%	3.56%	3.08%	2.71%	5.13%	3.07%	1.80%	6.18%	3.54%	7.20%	4.16%	5.65%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both TFITX and TIREX in my portfolio?

TFITX and TIREX have a correlation of 0.22, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, TFITX or TIREX?

TIREX has higher volatility (4.36%) compared to TFITX (3.87%). In terms of maximum drawdown, TFITX dropped -25.64% vs TIREX's -74.18%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

TFITX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.55 vs 1.25), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.