International stocks lead April TSP earnings

International stocks proved once again to be the Thrift Savings Plan's most lucrative offering, yielding the highest returns for the month of April.

The International (I) Fund, one of five basic options in the plan, gained 4.83 percent last month, far outperforming the others. That increase brings the I Fund's 12-month total to 33.58 percent, also the highest of the offerings.

The TSP is a $180 billion 401(k)-style retirement savings plan for federal employees.

After the I Fund, April's biggest earner was the C Fund, which tracks Standard & Poor's 500 Index of stocks in the largest domestic companies. The C Fund gained 1.34 percent, bringing its 12-month total to 15.4 percent.

The government securities, or G Fund, which is the most reliable TSP fund, with a guaranteed small but steady growth, earned 0.44 percent last month for a yearlong 4.52 percent increase.

A more volatile offering is the S Fund, which invests in the stocks of small- and mid-sized American companies. That fund grew just 0.34 percent in April. In March, though, it was the highest earner. Despite a slow April, the fund, which tracks the Dow Jones Wilshire 4500 Index, still has the second highest 12-month growth at 30.54 percent.

The lowest earner, and the only one to lose value in April, was the F Fund, composed of fixed-income bonds. It lost 0.19 percent last month; it also was the only fund to lose ground in March. For the year, however, the F Fund still has a small gain of 0.76 percent.

Since August, the TSP has offered a number of life-cycle (L) funds, which are blends of the five basic funds that automatically grow more conservative as investors age. In April, the funds designed for younger employees performed the best.

L 2040, intended for employees with a target retirement date around the year 2040, was the highest earner with a 1.75 percent gain for the month of April. The L 2030 Fund grew 1.62 percent; the L 2020 rose 1.47 percent; the L 2010 increased 1.18 percent; and the L Income, designed for employees with planned retirements in the very near future, gained 0.74 percent.