Nearly All TSP Portfolios End 2019 in the Black

All but one of the portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program ended the year on a high note, wrapping up a 2019 in which all funds grew in value.

Leading the way for the Thrift Savings Plan last month was the international (I) fund, which gained 3.24% in December. In 2019, the I Fund increased 22.47%.

The common stocks of the C Fund increased 3.01% last month, bringing its 2019 total gains to 31.45%. And the small- and mid-size businesses of the S Fund grew 2.15% in December, for a total increase of 27.97% in 2019.

The G Fund, which is made up of government securities, increased 0.16% last month, bringing its 2019 total to 2.24%. The fixed income (F) fund was the only TSP portfolio to end December in the red, falling 0.08%, but its performance last year remained positive at 8.68%.

All of the TSP’s lifecycle (L) funds, which shift toward more stable investments as participants get closer to retirement, ended the year on a positive note. The L Income Fund, which is designed for people who already have begun taking withdrawals, increased 0.74%; L 2020, 0.86%; L 2030, 1.83%; L 2040, 2.15%; and L 2050, 2.43%.

In 2019, the L Income Fund grew 7.60%; L 2020, 9.38%; L 2030, 17.60%; L 2040, 20.69%; and L 2050, 23.33%.