TLRIX vs. SPY
Compare and contrast key facts about TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund (TLRIX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).
TLRIX is managed by TIAA Investments. It was launched on Nov 29, 2007. SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993.
Performance
TLRIX vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
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TLRIX vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TLRIX TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund | -2.93% | 11.79% | 7.65% | 10.80% | -12.53% | 7.06% | 11.10% | 15.31% | -3.87% | 10.39% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | -4.37% | 17.72% | 24.89% | 26.18% | -18.18% | 28.73% | 18.33% | 31.22% | -4.57% | 21.71% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, TLRIX achieves a -2.93% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -4.37% return. Over the past 10 years, TLRIX has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 5.57%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 13.98% annualized return.
TLRIX
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- -5.07%
- YTD
- -2.93%
- 6M
- -1.04%
- 1Y
- 7.59%
- 3Y*
- 7.63%
- 5Y*
- 3.72%
- 10Y*
- 5.57%
SPY
- 1D
- 2.91%
- 1M
- -4.94%
- YTD
- -4.37%
- 6M
- -1.82%
- 1Y
- 17.59%
- 3Y*
- 18.19%
- 5Y*
- 11.69%
- 10Y*
- 13.98%
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TLRIX vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
TLRIX has a 0.26% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Return for Risk
TLRIX vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank
TLRIX
SPY
TLRIX vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund (TLRIX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.
| TLRIX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.20 | 0.93 | +0.27 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.67 | 1.45 | +0.22 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.24 | 1.22 | +0.02 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.39 | 1.53 | -0.13 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.17 | 7.30 | -1.13 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| TLRIX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.20 | 0.93 | +0.27 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.56 | 0.69 | -0.13 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.83 | 0.78 | +0.04 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.64 | 0.56 | +0.08 |
Correlation
The correlation between TLRIX and SPY is 0.90, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
TLRIX vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
TLRIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.72%, more than SPY's 1.14% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TLRIX TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund | 4.72% | 5.23% | 3.53% | 3.32% | 6.10% | 7.66% | 5.77% | 3.85% | 6.04% | 2.13% | 3.75% | 2.98% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.14% | 1.07% | 1.21% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% |
Drawdowns
TLRIX vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum TLRIX drawdown since its inception was -26.71%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TLRIX and SPY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| TLRIX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -26.71% | -55.19% | +28.48% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.23% | -12.05% | +6.82% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.15% | -24.50% | +7.35% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -17.15% | -33.72% | +16.57% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.23% | -6.24% | +1.01% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.34% | -9.09% | +5.75% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.18% | 2.52% | -1.34% |
Volatility
TLRIX vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund (TLRIX) is 2.54%, while State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has a volatility of 5.31%. This indicates that TLRIX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| TLRIX | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.54% | 5.31% | -2.77% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 4.08% | 9.47% | -5.39% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.57% | 19.05% | -12.48% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.65% | 17.06% | -10.41% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 6.78% | 17.92% | -11.14% |