While PIMCO Total Return is the unequivocal popularity leader among funds of all types and calibers, TIAA-CREF's Bond Plus (TIPBX) offering is a quieter but perhaps worthier contender. Lisa Black, who has more than 15 years of investment experience at TIAA-CREF, shared her fixed-income perspectives with Ticker.

It always pays to be cognizant of the volatile nature of emerging markets, whose attractive investment opportunities can only benefit risk-savvy investors. At the helm of the TIAA-CREF Emerging Markets Debt Fund, Katherine Renfrew navigates the dynamic field of this investment category by seeking compensation for the added risk through

U.S. interest rates have been so low for so long that the possibility of a rate increase is one of the largest embedded risks in the widely followed bond market indices. Joseph Higgins, portfolio manager of the TIAA-CREF Bond Fund, keeps risk at the forefront by seeking to mitigate volatility

The TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund is a core, actively managed fixed income fund that provides investors broad fixed income market exposure with competitive market returns. Portfolio manager Stephen Liberatore explains how the Fund aligns investors’ principles with their holdings through the support of leaders in Environmental, Governance and Social

When high-quality companies fall out of favor, investors are quick to sell first and ask questions later, thus creating opportunities for investors with longer-term horizons. Susan Kempler at TIAA-CREF Growth & Income Fund has a steady focus on detail and a patient approach to investing. She utilizes a bottom-up approach

The large-cap market segment abounds in stable business models and hefty balance sheets, allowing investors to take advantage of emerging opportunities. Yet, not all management teams have the proper organization to seize new markets and deliver accelerating earnings that are highly valued by investors. Susan Hirsch, portfolio manager of the