Fund Evaluator:
Nuveen Core Impact Bond I (TSBHX)
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| 4.5% | Nuveen Core Impact Bond I (TSBHX) |
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Fund Details
Nuveen Core Impact Bond I Overview
Nuveen Core Impact Bond I (TSBHX) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Intermediate Core Bond fund. Nuveen launched the fund in 2015.
The investment seeks total return, primarily through current income, while giving special consideration to certain environmental, social and governance ("ESG") criteria. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in a combination of core bonds and impact bonds.
About Nuveen Core Impact Bond I (TSBHX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 10.35 years: Jessica Zarzycki (2019), Stephen Liberatore (2012). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Nuveen Core Impact Bond I has 1084 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 23.0% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Nuveen Core Impact Bond I is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond fund group. Nuveen Core Impact Bond I has 17.2% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0%. There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 1.1% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 95.7% (78.5% domestic bond, 17.2% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Nuveen Core Impact Bond I has 2.1% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $1 billion in total assets, which is below the $3 billion average for the Intermediate Core Bond category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
TSBHX Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Nuveen Core Impact Bond I expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category. Nuveen Core Impact Bond I has an expense ratio of 0.41%, which is 28% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Nuveen Core Impact Bond I has a portfolio turnover rate of 147%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 150% for the Intermediate Core Bond category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, Nuveen Core Impact Bond I returned 0.4%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Intermediate Core Bond category had an average return of 0.2%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all funds in that category.
Nuveen Core Impact Bond I has a trailing yield of 4.29%, which is above the 3.97% category average. The fund normally distributes its income monthly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Nuveen Core Impact Bond I Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 1.0%, 0.4 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 4.5% over the past year (grade of A), 4.7% over the past three years (grade of A) and 0.2% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 1.8% per year over the past 10 years (grade of B).
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TSBHX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| TSBHX Return (NAV) | 0.4% | 1.0% | 4.5% | 4.7% | 0.2% | 1.8% |
| TSBHX Grade | A | A | A | A | B | B |
| +/- Category | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | 0.2% | 0.7% | 3.7% | 4.2% | -0.0% | 1.6% |
| TSBHX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
TSBHX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| TSBHX Return (NAV) | 1.0% | 7.6% | 2.4% | 6.1% | -14.1% | -1.0% | 7.3% | 8.6% | 0.3% | 4.5% | 3.0% |
| TSBHX Grade | A | A | A | B | D | B | D | C | A | A | B |
| +/- Category | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 0.4% | -1.0% | 0.5% | -0.8% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | 0.6% | 7.0% | 1.6% | 5.6% | -13.2% | -1.5% | 8.1% | 8.5% | -0.4% | 3.6% | 2.8% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 5.5% |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.45 - Low |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.99 - Below Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | B (36% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.98 |
| R-Squared: | 99% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | na |
| Bond Investment Style: | High Quality Moderate Sensitivity |
| Yield: | 4.3% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Monthly |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $8087 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $1,406 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 147% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 13.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 10.4 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Liberatore Stephen (2012), Zarzycki Jessica (2019) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 4/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 1084 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 23.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 17.2% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 1.1% |
| Domestic Bond: | 78.5% |
| Foreign Bond: | 17.2% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 1.1% |
| Cash: | 2.1% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Nuveen |
| Phone Number: | 800-257-8787 |
| Website: | www.tiaa.org |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | December 4, 2015 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $100,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.41% ( Rating : Avg ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.57% |
| Share Class: | Nuveen Core Impact Bond R6 |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
