TSP funds post mixed results in March

After three months of growth, the investment options in the federal employee retirement savings plan showed a mix of small gains and losses in March.

The Thrift Savings Plan's S Fund, which invests in small and midsize companies and tracks the Dow Jones Wilshire 4500 Index, grew the most in March, increasing 2.06 percent. The fund also has seen the largest growth so far this year with a gain of 7.99 percent.

The fixed income bonds in the F Fund saw a small monthly gain of 0.06 percent, with the C Fund -- invested in common stocks of large companies on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index -- close behind at 0.04 percent. The stable government securities (G) fund grew 0.26 percent last month. The fund has increased 0.72 percent so far this year. The F Fund gained 0.44 percent during the same period, while the C Fund is up 5.91 percent for the year.

The I Fund, which invests in international stocks, lost 2.23 percent in March. The fund is up 3.45 percent this year to date.

Four of the five life-cycle funds, designed to move investors to less risky portfolios as they get closer to retirement, saw small declines after several months of growth. The L 2020 dropped 0.03 percent in March; L 2030 declined 0.05 percent; L 2040 decreased 0.08 percent; and L 2050 Fund, which opened on Jan. 31 after the L 2010 closed at the end of last year, lost 0.15 percent. The L Income, for people who have reached their target retirement date and have started withdrawing money, gained 0.17 percent.

L 2040 is up 4.67 percent so far this year, with L 2030 close behind at 4.16 percent. L 2020 gained 3.50 percent in that time, and L Income grew 1.71 percent.