TSP funds see positive returns in September

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) funds continued their modest gains in September. All TSP funds saw positive returns for the month. The C Fund had the most significant increase among the core funds. It returned 2.13% in September, bringing its year-to-date performance to just over 22%. The C Fund has returned 36.29% over the last 12 months. The S Fund was next, with a 1.55% return for September. It has gained 11.69% year-to-date and returned 28.57% over the past year. The lifecycle funds also had positive returns across the board in September, continuing the trend from July and August. The L 2055, L 2060, L 2065, and L 2070 funds had the highest returns, at 1.58% each. The L 2070 is a newer fund. Year-to-date totals for the L 2055, L 2060, and L 2065 are 17.41%. Year-to-date data for the L 2070 is not yet available.

TSP funds gain across the board

The TSP’s G Fund grew by 0.33% in September. This is the rate mandated by law. The G Fund has increased by 3.31% since January. The F Fund gained 1.34% last month. It has grown 4.52% so far in 2024. The I Fund was up 0.77% in September, which resulted in an 11.69% increase year-to-date. TSP assets totaled $941 billion as of August 2024. This is up from $719 billion at the start of the current bull market in October 2022. TSP participants now have 35.5% of their money in the C Fund, an increase from 29.3% when the bull market began. Meanwhile, the portion in the G Fund has fallen from 33.4% to 24.6%. Historically, the C Fund has higher returns but more volatility than the G Fund. Since inception, the C Fund has averaged 11.14% annual returns. The G Fund has averaged 4.65% but has never lost money in a year.