TSP stock funds post losses in March

Three funds in the Thrift Savings Plan rose slightly in March, while all other funds lost ground.

Fixed-income bonds represented in the 401(k)-style federal employee retirement plan's F Fund experienced the greatest gains last month out of the five basic investment options, rising 0.33 percent. The fund's yearlong growth stood at 7.87 percent.

The government securities (G) fund, which is the most reliable of the five, came in slightly behind the F Fund for returns in March, earning 0.32 percent. The fund also earned second place for 12-month gains, posting 4.56 percent.

The international investments represented in the I Fund rose in March as well, earning 0.18 percent. The fund posted losses of 2.55 percent for the year.

The S Fund, which invests in small- and mid-size companies by tracking the Dow Jones Wilshire 4500 Index, dropped the most in March, falling 1.43 percent. The fund also posted the largest losses over the last 12 months, plunging 8.2 percent.

The C Fund, composed of common stocks on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index of the largest domestic companies, took a hit of 0.46 percent last month, while the fund's 12-month losses were 5.07 percent.

The TSP also has life-cycle (L) options, a blend of the five basic funds that automatically grow more conservative as investors near retirement. Three of the L funds fell in March.

L 2040, intended for employees with a target retirement date around the year 2040, dropped 0.29 percent; L 2030 fell 0.18 percent; and L 2020 lost 0.06 percent. L 2010 rose 0.07 percent, and the L Income Fund, designed for employees with planned retirements in the near future, experienced gains of 0.23 percent for the month.

The same three L funds posted losses for the year. The L 2040 Fund posted the biggest losses, falling 2.71 percent during 12 months. L 2030 fell 1.69 percent, L 2020 fell 0.57 percent, L 2010 grew 1.96 percent and L Income increased 3.09 percent.