TIAA outage

msf

We are currently experiencing an operational outage with one of our vendors, and the systems are unavailable, with no estimated time for resolution. This outage could last several days. Current account values are unavailable. General product inquiries may be directed to the service center at 877-694-0305.

At the close of business on November 1, 2023, the total value ...

Perhaps TIAA should have called this an outrage

yogibearbull

I was alerted to it on my TIAA Group (Facebook) yesterday, but I could log in the afternoon (Central) yesterday, and others could do the same too.

msf

I could and can log in fine. However, as the message says upon logging in, "current account values are unavailable". No change.

This problem is product-specific (note the wording "one of our vendors"). I have been able to get investment info for someone else's account who has non-overlapping products.

When I try to get details about my particular investment, I get a java server error. Eclipse is a Java IDE that I used to use. I'm not familiar with SAML (an authentication package), though this error at the top of the stack is consistent with the message that TIAA is having problems communicating with its third party vendor.

Partner Connection ID: MCCAMISH
Adapter: Unknown

(SP) ::: MCCAMISH is not active.

Please contact your system administrator for assistance regarding this error.

Full Stack Trace:
org.sourceid.websso.profiles.ProcessRuntimeException: (SP) ::: MCCAMISH is not active.
at org.sourceid.saml20.profiles.idp.AuthnSourceSupportBase.doLookupAuthNs(AuthnSourceSupportBase.java:955)

... at roughly a dozen org.sourceid.saml20 (or websso) methods ...

at org.sourceid.websso.servlet.EnforcerServletBase.checkProcess(EnforcerServletBase.java:79)
at org.sourceid.websso.servlet.EnforcerServletBase.doGet(EnforcerServletBase.java:135)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:687)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:790)

... at roughly 90 org.eclipse methods ...

at org.eclipse.jetty.util.thread.QueuedThreadPool$Runner.run(QueuedThreadPool.java:1034)
at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

hank

”Current account values are unavailable.”

Not affected directly. But most interesting. I assume the problem involves simply pulling up the correct prices or NAVs for whatever you invest in? Similar to what sometimes happens with portfolio trackers?

It it meant you were completely unable to view account holdings, that would be much more serious. Yikes - that could precipitate #@&#!

(That computer lingo looks a lot like what appeared on one of my devices after one of its apps was hacked couple years ago.)

msf

This is a problem accessing an actual TIAA investment product. As you said, that's much more serious. This is not merely trying to get info via TIAA on some product held elsewhere, such as Fidelity.

I have no problem accessing info about a friend's 403(b) account. But the retail side of TIAA, or at least part of it, has been messed up for two weeks. No current balances (just an aggregate amount as of Nov 1), no positions.

Fortunately the website seems to post current NAVs. So I can use my latest (Sept 30th) downloaded statement to get the number of shares of each position and use the current NAVs to calculate my current values by position.

I was planning on reallocating holdings at TIAA. Assuming TIAA can handle that by phone, this outage is an just an inconvenience, not an insurmountable obstacle.

(That computer lingo, as you call it, is a standard "dump" from a Java thread that has failed/died. It can be very informative for debugging. Though here, it looks like the problem is on the third party vendor side - that vendor should be working furiously to get its system up and talking again to the outside world.)

yogibearbull

I logged into TIAA again today, Sunday, 12:45pm (Central), 11/12/23..

I see the same message still, "We are currently experiencing an operational outage with one of our vendors, and the systems are unavailable, with no estimated time for resolution. This outage could last several days. Current account values are unavailable. General product inquiries may be directed to the service center at 877-694-0305."

Balances shown are as of 11/10/23.
Exchanging VAs/funds screen works.
Activity page opens but I have no recent activity.
Vintages page/tab opens for my TIAA Traditional SV.

These are the things that I typically use.

Because TIAA has been keeping the message on, some users may still be affected, or some one forgot to turn it off.

msf

As one of the affected users I can assure you that that message is not for naught. My account still reads "At the close of business on November 1, 2023 ..."

I'm glad it works for you and for others, and perhaps for 99% of TIAA users. Really I am. Unfortunately, that doesn't help me.

In the past I've been accused of being a high maintenance customer. But it's not me, it's them ...

In my account, if I go to Actions, "Daily Summary" produces a page that reads (top right): Daily Statement as of 11/1/23. At the bottom of the page it says:
"Daily Statement Printed on 11/12/23 at 03:53 PM ET"

In my friend's account, Actions, "Daily Summary" produces a page that reads (top right): Daily Statement as of 11/10/23. At the bottom of the page it says:
"Daily Statement Printed on 11/12/23 at 03:58 PM ET"

And there's no way for me to get to a trading/exchange page for my account. Different products go off into different sections of the website. The retail wing (or at least my part of it) has flown the coop.

WABAC

I hope this leads to an overall improvement of one of the worst websites I have tried to navigate.

yogibearbull

Partial TIAA outage continues. A poster at M* received this email from TIAA today:

"Important Information about a Vendor Cybersecurity Event

Dear Policyholder,

We want to make you aware of potential delays you may experience with the servicing of your life insurance policy. Due to a cybersecurity event that has occurred with our administrative vendor, all service requests and transactions are delayed. We are working with the vendor to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and resume operations.

This event has resulted in the temporary suspension of the ability to process contract transactions, including but not limited to, the application of premium payments, investment allocation changes, cash withdrawals, systematic withdrawals, loan processing, beneficiary changes, death claim payments, dollar cost averaging, and rebalancing. The event has also affected online services, which are unavailable. We are unable to receive any requests submitted online until services have resumed.

If you are able to demonstrate a financial hardship as a result of a delayed disbursement to you, please contact us at the phone number shown below to discuss your options.

We are diligently working with the affected vendor to mitigate the impact to you until the outage is resolved. At this time, we are unable to provide to you an estimated timeline for resolution."

hank

d

yogibearbull

Some discussions at M* point to issues from Infosys McCamish Insurance software,
https://www.infosysbpm.com/mccamish/about/history.html

https://www.plansponsor.com/infosys-cybersecurity-issue-hits-ascensus-newport-nonqualified-platforms/

msf

Access has now been down all of November. This has become "service" as usual. The whole stock market was up and running six days after 9/11. It can't possibly be five times as hard to fix this cyberattack on TIAA's third party server or to migrate operations to another third party provider.

Please be advised that TIAA Life is currently experiencing an operational outage due to a cybersecurity event with one of our vendors. Current account values are unavailable for individually owned life insurance policies and annuity contracts. We are diligently working with the vendor to mitigate the impact to you until the outage is resolved. At this time, we are unable to provide an estimated timeline for resolution. Any pending transactions will be completed as quickly as possible in the order in which they were received when serviced is restored. Your transaction will be processed effective the date it was received in good order, without negative impact to you. General TIAA Life product inquiries may be directed to the service center at 800 223-1200. This issue does not affect any other TIAA products. Account values and online services for all other TIAA products are available as usual.

Notice there is no information on how to place those orders that will be processed later (in 2024?).

At least I can log in and see my Nov 1 balance. Earlier today all I got was:

Page Expired
The page you are trying to access is no longer available.

yogibearbull

Good thing (?) is that auto-billing for life insurance didn't kick in as usual. I am on quarterly billing, so late-Nov/early-Dec charges were expected. NOTHING yet.

Will TIAA wave it (-:) or just send paper bill in the US Mail?

As for policies, I only see the opening page, but error is generated on clicks to policies (Infosys McCamish garbage).

yogibearbull

New message, 12/8/23
Effective December 8, 2023, the vendor operational outage is resolved, and operations have resumed. However, there is a temporary delay with resuming full online services for your policy/contract. We anticipate full online self-service functionality to be available the week of December 18, 2023. Current account values are unavailable for individually owned life insurance policies and annuity contracts. Please contact us at 877-694-0305 to obtain account details. Regarding backlogged work, our first priority will be to process financial transactions as received in good order without negative impact to you. Any non-financial transactions will be processed as soon as administratively possible. This issue does not affect any other TIAA Products. Account values and online services for all other TIAA products are available as usual.

msf

Apparently this was serious enough that TIAA had to file prospectus supplements. They're all pretty much the same; here's the one for its VUL policies:

Filed Pursuant to Rule 497(e)
...
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT NUMBER (7)
Dated November 13, 2023 ...

The purpose of this prospectus supplement is to notify contract owners and policyholders that a vendor for TIAA Life is currently experiencing a cyber security event, and the systems are unavailable. We are working with the vendor to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and resume operations.

This event has resulted in a temporary suspension of our ability to process contract transactions, including but not limited to, premium payments, investment allocation changes, cash withdrawals, systematic withdrawals, loan processing, beneficiary changes, death claim payments, dollar cost averaging, and rebalancing. The event has also affected on-line services, which are unavailable. We are unable to receive any requests submitted on-line until on-line services have resumed.

We are continuing to investigate the scope and impact of the event. Currently, there is not an estimated timeline for service restoration. Any pending transactions will be completed as quickly as possible in the order in which they were received. By the time this supplement has been delivered to you, service and transaction processing may have already been restored.
...
Please keep this supplement with your prospectus for future reference.

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1067490/000119312523275816/d302845d497.htm

I'm now able to get current total balance (an improvement) but little else - no details, no ability to transact. IOW anything that entails interacting directly with its third party vendor.

msf

However, there is a temporary delay with resuming full online services for your policy/contract. We anticipate full online self-service functionality to be available the week of December 18, 2023.

Full online self-service functionality appears to be restored as of this evening. Three whole days "ahead of schedule" after having been down 1½ months.

WABAC

About half my wife's retirement portfolio is at at TIAA from two different institutions. About 33% is in their "traditional" accounts, or whatever they call them. I moved most of the rest to money markets back in June. But I know that isn't a sensible long-term plan.

We had a chat with a peppy rep back in the spring. Tried to learn from their web site. But, man o man, the whole experience sure makes me feel stupid.

Still a ways off from RMD's.

yogibearbull

Now Fido comes clean with the SAME Infosys/INFY - McCamish problem.

In 2 recent breaches, MOVEit data transfer and Infosys - McCamish (IMS), TIAA was out in the front and took lot of flak, but hundreds/thousands of institutions were affected, and I have accounts with some of those, but their handling and secretiveness hasn't been admirable or confidence inspiring.

Cybercrimes are rising. In Chicago area, the communication network (IT, emails, online) of a major Children's Hospital (Lurie) has been down for weeks due to a ransomware attack.

These issues need serious actions through legislation and law enforcement.

https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/05/fidelity_financial_info_stolen/

https://news.wttw.com/2024/03/05/month-after-cyberattack-chicago-childrens-hospital-says-some-systems-are-back-online

catch22

Data breaches.....
This is the latest update list I have for MOVEit. Once the page opens, Windows users may do a quick word search via ctrl and f keys to open a search word box. One may also scroll the list to discover the types of institutions and countries affected.

ADD: perhaps this should be a new thread. Thoughts?

yogibearbull

There is already a thread for MOVEit breach. This thread is on Infosys/McCamish outage that has been resolved at TIAA.
https://www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/comment/168579/#Comment_168579

yogibearbull

More letters from TIAA to signup with Kroll re Infosys McCamish (IMS) breach. Must use another email than the one used for previous MOVEit breach signup.

This breach has affected thousands at TIAA, Fidelity, Vanguard, T Rowe Price, Principal, Ascensus, MassMutual, BoA, etc.