X
  • Invest in a
    Better World

Sustainable Retirement Funds at SUNY

SUNY is committed to making the world a better place. That’s why we're proud to offer our employees a variety of sustainable, socially responsible ways to save for retirement.

We currently offer 10 environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds to meet the growing demand for retirement plan investments that both perform well and align with an investor's values.

 

PERFORMANCE MEETS VALUES

"Close to six out of 10 sustainable funds delivered higher returns than equivalent conventional funds over the past decade."

- The Financial Times

Invest in What Matters to You

Responsible investing through ESG funds aligns your investments with the issues you care about.

sun icon

Environmental

Support companies that work to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard the environment.

people icon

Social

Support companies that monitor and protect against human rights abuses in their operations.

govbuilding icon

Governance

Support companies that practice inclusive, responsible governance.

The Impact of Responsible Investing

SUNY retirement accounts hold roughly $25 billion in assets — that’s 25 billion opportunities to invest in a cleaner, greener, and more just world. How does responsible investing make a difference? Invest in funds that:

Commit to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
Spur clean and renewable carbon-free energy.
Develop clean water projects.
Support land conservation around the world.
Help construct new affordable housing units.
Close equity gaps in corporate leadership.

Explore Your Options

We encourage you to learn more about our available ESG funds below. To speak with an advisor about sustainable investing, contact:

TIAA: 1-866-662-7945
AIG: 1-800-448-2542
Fidelity: 1-844-FOR-SUNY (844-367-7869)
Voya: 1-800-584-6001

Available to TIAA Participants

Fund NameAsset Class (Investment Category)Fund Objective From Provider
TIAA Access Social Choice Equity U.S. Large Blend Equity (U.S. stocks) Seeks a favorable long-term total return that reflects the investment performance of the overall U.S. stock market (using the Russell 3000 Index) while giving special consideration to certain ESG criteria.
TIAA Access Social Choice Low Carbon Equity U.S. Large Blend Equity (U.S. stocks) Seeks a favorable long-term total return that reflects the investment performance of the overall U.S. stock market (using the Russell 3000 Index) while giving special consideration to additional ESG criteria related to carbon emissions and fossil fuel reserves.
TIAA Access Vanguard FTSE Social Index U.S. Large Blend Equity (U.S. stocks) Seeks to track the performance of the overall U.S. stock market (using the FTSE4Good US Select Index) screened for certain ESG criteria.
TIAA Access Social Choice International Equity  Foreign/International Large Blend Equity (non-U.S. stocks)  Seeks a favorable long-term total return that reflects the performance of the overall foreign equity markets (using the MSCI EAFE Index) while giving special consideration to certain ESG criteria.
CREF Social Choice Account  Global Balanced (50-70% U.S and non-U.S. stocks/30-50% U.S. and non-U.S. bonds)  60% quantitatively managed global equity securities emphasizing ESG leadership/40% actively managed fixed income (bonds) securities emphasizing impact and ESG leadership.
TIAA Access Core Impact Bond  U.S. Intermediate Core Bond  Seeks outperformance versus traditional market benchmark (Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index) by investing in U.S. Dollar investment-grade securities that demonstrate ESG leadership and/or direct and measurable social and environmental impact.

 

Available to AIG Participants

Fund NameAsset Class (Investment Category)Fund Objective From Provider
VALIC US Socially Responsible Fund (managed by SunAmerica) U.S. Large Cap Equity (U.S. stocks) The investment seeks to obtain growth of capital through investment, primarily in equity securities, in companies which meet the social criteria established for the fund. The fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of U.S. companies meeting the fund's social criteria. To determine which companies meet the fund's social criteria, the sub-adviser incorporates into its investment process industry classifications and research services from an independent social research service, MSCI ESG Research, LLC (MSCI ESG Research).
VALIC International Socially Responsible Fund (managed by SunAmerica) Global Equity (non-U.S. & U.S. Equity) The investment seeks to obtain growth of capital through investment, primarily in equity securities of companies which meet the social criteria established for the fund. The fund will invest at least 80% of net assets in the equity securities of companies that meet the fund's social criteria located in at least three different countries, with at least 40% of net assets in foreign (non-U.S.) securities, or if conditions are unfavorable, at least 30% of net assets in foreign (non-U.S.) securities. 

 

Available to Fidelity Participants

Fund NameAsset Class (Investment Category)Fund Objective From Provider
Parnassus Core Equity Fund U.S. Large Blend Equity (U.S. stocks) The fund's objective is to achieve both capital appreciation and current income by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities. Equity securities include common and preferred stock. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest a minimum of 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. At least 75% of the fund's total assets will normally be invested in equity securities that pay interest or dividends.

 

Available to Voya Participants

Fund NameAsset Class (Investment Category)Fund Objective From Provider
Parnassus Core Equity Fund U.S. Large Blend Equity (U.S. stocks) The fund's objective is to achieve both capital appreciation and current income by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities. Equity securities include common and preferred stock. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest a minimum of 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. At least 75% of the fund's total assets will normally be invested in equity securities that pay interest or dividends.
Calvert VP SRI Balanced Portfolio Balanced (50-70% U.S. stocks/30-50% U.S. bonds) The investment seeks to provide a competitive total return through an actively managed portfolio of stocks, bonds, and money market instruments that offer income and capital growth opportunity. The fund typically invests approximately 60% of its net assets in stocks and 40% in bonds or other fixed-income investments. Stock investments are primarily common stock in large-cap companies. Fixed-income investments are primarily a wide variety of investment grade debt securities, such as corporate debt securities, mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities.

 

Please review all of the funds available to you and call your financial adviser or contact your service provider to learn more about these options:

TIAA
1-866-662-7945
www.tiaa.org/suny

AIG
1-800-448-2542
https://suny.aigrs.com/home

Fidelity
1-844-FOR-SUNY (844-367-7869)
https://nb.fidelity.com/public/nb/suny/home

Voya
1-800-584-6001
https://suny.beready2retire.com