Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities that Teachers Advisors, LLC (“Advisors”) believes present the opportunity for growth. Generally, these equity securities will be those of large capitalization companies in new and emerging areas of the economy and companies with distinctive products or promising markets. Advisors looks for companies that it believes have the potential for strong earnings and/or sales growth, or that appear to be mispriced based on current earnings, assets or growth prospects. The Fund may invest in companies Advisors identifies as large, well-known, and established, particularly when Advisors believes that the companies offer new or innovative products, services or processes that may enhance their future earnings. For purposes of the 80% investment policy, the term “assets” means net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. The Fund may also purchase and sell futures, options, swaps and other equity derivatives to carry out the Fund’s investment strategies. The Fund’s benchmark index is the Russell 1000®Growth Index. The Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), which means it may invest a significant portion of its assets in a relatively small number of issuers, which may increase risk as compared to a fund that is classified as a diversified investment company.

The Fund also seeks to invest in companies expected to benefit from prospective acquisitions, reorganizations, corporate restructurings or other special situations. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in foreign investments.