TSP Wilts in March

March returns for the Thrift Savings Plan were lackluster, with modest gains for some funds and others in the red.

The C Fund, invested in common stocks, inched up 0.85 percent last month after a 4.58 percent rebound in February. The fund has grown 21.93 percent during the last 12 months.

The always reliable G Fund, invested in government securities, also grew just barely in March, increasing 0.19 percent. It has gained 2.09 percent during the last 12 months.

That’s where the good news ends for March. The I, S and F funds all fell last month, after posting positive returns in February. International stocks dropped 0.57 percent, while the S Fund -- invested in small and midsize companies and tracking the Dow Jones Wilshire 4500 Index – decreased 0.69 percent. Also in the negative column for March: the F (fixed income) Fund, which dipped 0.15 percent. During the last 12 months, the I Fund has increased 17.94 percent; the S Fund has gained 25.64 percent; and the F Fund has risen just 0.33 percent.

The lifecycle (L) funds -- designed to move investors to less risky portfolios as they near retirement -- all yielded positive returns in March, as they did in February. Still, their rates of return were smaller than in February. The L Income Fund for TSP participants who already have started withdrawing money gained 0.19 percent last month. L 2020 increased 0.17 percent in March; L 2030 gained 0.14 percent; L 2040 was up 0.12 percent; and L 2050 saw a tiny 0.09 percent boost.

Over the last 12 months, L Income is up 5.72 percent; L 2020, 11.93 percent; L 2030, 14.73 percent; L 2040, 16.78 percent; and L 2050, 18.76 percent.

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