TSP Grows Across All Funds in April

The funds in the federal employee 401(k)-style retirement savings plan all saw modest gains in April, bouncing back from a relatively stagnant March.

International stocks in the Thrift Savings Plan’s I Fund continued their upward trajectory, boasting the highest gains in April, at 2.62 percent. They have increased 10.16 percent for the year to date.

The S Fund, which is made up of small- and midsize companies, was up 1.15 percent in April, for total growth in 2017 of 5.78 percent. The C Fund’s common stocks similarly grew by 1.03 percent last month. That brings the fund’s growth since January to 7.16 percent.

The TSP’s most stable option, the government securities (G) fund, grew by 0.20 percent last month, bringing gains since January to 0.78 percent. And the fixed income (F) fund saw a 0.81 percent increase in April, for a total of a 1.75 percent increase in 2017.

TSP’s lifecycle (L) funds, which shift investments toward a more stable portfolio as enrollees get closer to retirement, all saw gains last month as well. The L Income fund, designed for those who have already begun withdrawing money, was up 0.50 percent. L 2020 increased 0.76 percent in April; L 2030, 1.07 percent; L 2040, 1.21 percent; and L 2050, 1.34 percent.

Those gains continued the L Funds’ steady growth for 2017 so far, with funds designed for employees furthest away from retirement showing the strongest performance. L Income was up 2.24 percent for the year to date; L 2020, 3.69 percent; L 2030, 5.24 percent; L 2040, 6 percent; and L 2050, 6.69 percent.