TLRIX vs. TCIEX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund (TLRIX) and TIAA-CREF International Equity Index Fund Institutional Class (TCIEX).

TLRIX is managed by TIAA Investments. It was launched on Nov 29, 2007. TCIEX is a passively managed fund by TIAA Investments that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE Index. It was launched on Oct 1, 2002.

Performance

TLRIX vs. TCIEX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund (TLRIX) and TIAA-CREF International Equity Index Fund Institutional Class (TCIEX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

TLRIX vs. TCIEX - 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%
TCIEX TIAA-CREF International Equity Index Fund Institutional Class	-1.90%	31.55%	3.69%	18.21%	-14.19%	11.30%	8.13%	21.82%	-13.27%	25.34%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TLRIX achieves a -2.93% return, which is significantly lower than TCIEX's -1.90% return. Over the past 10 years, TLRIX has underperformed TCIEX with an annualized return of 5.57%, while TCIEX has yielded a comparatively higher 8.58% 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%

TCIEX

• 1D: 0.37%
• 1M: -10.84%
• YTD: -1.90%
• 6M: 2.34%
• 1Y: 19.49%
• 3Y*: 13.36%
• 5Y*: 7.86%
• 10Y*: 8.58%

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

TLRIX vs. TCIEX - Expense Ratio Comparison

TLRIX has a 0.26% expense ratio, which is higher than TCIEX's 0.05% 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%.

TLRIX

TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund

TCIEX

TIAA-CREF International Equity Index Fund Institutional Class

Return for Risk

TLRIX vs. TCIEX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

TLRIX

TLRIX Risk / Return Rank: 64
TLRIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
TLRIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
TLRIX Omega Ratio Rank: 63
TLRIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 59
TLRIX Martin Ratio Rank: 65

TCIEX

TCIEX Risk / Return Rank: 61
TCIEX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
TCIEX Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
TCIEX Omega Ratio Rank: 57
TCIEX Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
TCIEX Martin Ratio Rank: 61

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

TLRIX vs. TCIEX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund (TLRIX) and TIAA-CREF International Equity Index Fund Institutional Class (TCIEX). 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	TCIEX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.20	1.09	+0.11
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.67	1.53	+0.14
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.24	1.22	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.39	1.48	-0.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.17	5.82	+0.35
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TLRIX vs. TCIEX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TLRIX Sharpe Ratio is 1.20, which is comparable to the TCIEX Sharpe Ratio of 1.09. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TLRIX and TCIEX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	TLRIX	TCIEX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.20	1.09	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56	0.50	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.83	0.52	+0.30
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.64	0.38	+0.26

Correlation

The correlation between TLRIX and TCIEX is 0.86, 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. TCIEX - Dividend Comparison

TLRIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.72%, more than TCIEX's 3.97% 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%
TCIEX TIAA-CREF International Equity Index Fund Institutional Class	3.97%	3.89%	3.17%	3.14%	2.82%	3.02%	1.96%	3.08%	3.42%	2.78%	2.95%	3.06%

Drawdowns

TLRIX vs. TCIEX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TLRIX drawdown since its inception was -26.71%, smaller than the maximum TCIEX drawdown of -59.27%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TLRIX and TCIEX.

Drawdown Indicators

	TLRIX	TCIEX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-26.71%	-59.27%	+32.56%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.23%	-11.35%	+6.12%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.15%	-29.25%	+12.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-17.15%	-33.58%	+16.43%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.23%	-10.86%	+5.63%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.34%	-10.64%	+7.30%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.18%	3.03%	-1.85%

Volatility

TLRIX vs. TCIEX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Retirement Income Fund (TLRIX) is 2.54%, while TIAA-CREF International Equity Index Fund Institutional Class (TCIEX) has a volatility of 7.10%. This indicates that TLRIX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than TCIEX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TLRIX	TCIEX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.54%	7.10%	-4.56%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.08%	10.83%	-6.75%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	6.57%	16.97%	-10.40%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.65%	15.89%	-9.24%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.78%	16.56%	-9.78%