Most TSP Funds Make Gains in May
Small- and midsize company portfolio was the only fund to lose ground last month.
Funds in the federal employee 401(k)-style retirement savings plan had another broadly positive month in May, with only one of the plan’s funds losing ground.
The Thrift Savings Plan I Fund, which is made up of international stocks, saw the greatest increase, growing by 3.76 percent last month, up 14.31 percent overall in 2017.
The common stocks that make up the C Fund gained 1.41 percent in May, for a total growth this year of 8.67 percent. But the S Fund, which is comprised of small- and midsize companies, shrank by 0.77 percent, bringing down its earnings 4.96 percent to date this year .
The two most stable portfolios in the TSP continued their steady upward trajectory. The fixed income (F) fund grew by 0.81 percent in May, bringing its 2017 total gains to 2.57 percent. And the government securities (G) fund grew by 0.19 percent. This year, the G Fund has grown by 0.98 percent.
The plan’s lifecycle (L) funds, which shift investments toward more stable portfolios as people get closer to retirement, all saw further growth in May. The L Income Fund, designed for those who already have begun withdrawing money, grew by 0.55 percent in May. L 2020 increased by 0.86 percent; L 2030, 1.22 percent; L 2040, 1.38 percent; and L 2050, 1.51 percent.
Those gains continue a strong 2017 for the L Funds. L Income was up 2.80 percent; L 2020, 4.59 percent; L 2030, 6.52 percent; L 2040, 7.46 percent; L 2050, 8.30 percent.