TSP Growth Slows in March

Growth in the federal employee retirement savings plan ground to a halt in most cases last month, and some funds dropped slightly in value.

The Thrift Savings Plan’s S Fund, which is invested in small- and midsize companies, was down 0.08 percent in March, although it is still sitting on 4.57 percent in growth since January. Fixed income bonds in the F Fund were effectively flat, dropping 0.01 percent last month and bringing overall growth in 2017 to 0.93 percent.

However, international stocks continued to boom, increasing by 2.85 percent in March. The I Fund increased 7.35 percent for the year so far.

The government securities (G) fund continued its steady upward trend last month, gaining 0.20 percent. The G Fund, which is the most stable plan the TSP offers, is up 0.59 percent for the year. And the C Fund’s common stocks grew by 0.12 percent in March, making for a 6.07 percent gain since January.

Lifecycle (L) funds, which shift investments to a more stable portfolio as enrollees get closer to retirement, all saw modest gains in March. The L Income fund, for those who have already begun withdrawing money, was up 0.33 percent. L 2020 increased 0.48 percent in March; L 2030, 0.64 percent; L 2040, 0.71 percent; and L 2050, 0.78 percent.

The L Funds also continued their gains for 2017, with the most growth occurring in funds for employees furthest away from retirement. L Income was up 1.73 percent since January; L 2020, 2.91 percent; L 2030, 4.13 percent; L 2040, 4.73 percent; and L 2050, 5.28 percent.