This is a private retirement fund company. I sent in rollover forms to have all funds directly rolled over to an account at Fidelity. This was a 401 account from a former employer. There were two forms I needed to fill out. I am sure that I filled out both forms exactly the same. One account is now being rolled over directly into my new Fidelity fund. The other has been cashed. TIAA CREF sent me a check and because of this a large chunk of money had to be paid to the IRS in taxes.
I wanted all my funds to be directly rolled over. But now I have paid taxes for money I dont need right now. A TIAA CREF rep said it cannot be reversed. My lesson: to make sure I fill out the forms correctly- even if I have to call several times.