Most TSP funds plunge sharply in February
Returns from the Thrift Savings Plan took a sharp downturn in February, reflecting corrections in the stock market that made for a volatile month.
Returns from the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) took a sharp downturn in February, reflecting corrections in the stock market that made for a volatile month. Only the stolid G Fund managed to bring in positive returns.
The low-risk-low-reward Treasury securities option actually managed to gain 0.01 percent since January for a February high of 0.21 percent. That’s not surprising though; it’s hovered between 0.19 and 0.21 percent returns for the last 12 months.
The fixed-income investment index, or F fund, did actually improve since January, though it still remains in the red. It came up by 0.18 to reach -0.96 percent.
The international stocks I fund lost some of the significant gains it made over the last year, coming in lowest for February at -5.07 percent. It had the highest year-end return in 2017 at 25.42 percent over 12 months, and that only increased to 27.99 percent in January. Now it stands at 19.77 percent over the last 12 months.
The C fund, which is based on stocks from the S&P index, also experienced a sharp drop, bringing in -3.69 percent returns in February, causing its performance over the last 12 months to dip to 17.08 percent.
The small-cap stocks S fund suffered a similar fate, coming in at -3.79 percent for the month of February, its score over the last 12 months falling to 12.31 percent.
The TSP lifecycle funds also sank to varying degrees, with the L 2050 seeing the worst results at -3.41 percent, precipitating a seven-point plunge in its rate over the last 12 months, from 21.42 percent in January to 14.41 percent in February.
January’s mostly strong numbers allowed most of the year-to-date returns to stay in the black, but only just.
| Thrift Savings Plan — February 2018 Returns | |||
| Fund | February | Year-to-Date | Last 12 Months |
| G fund | 0.21% | 0.41% | 2.35% |
| F fund | -0.96% | -2.09% | 0.70% |
| C fund | -3.69% | 1.82% | 17.08% |
| S fund | -3.79% | -0.58% | 12.31% |
| I fund | -5.07% | -0.32% | 19.77% |
| L Income | -0.70% | 0.40% | 5.15% |
| L 2020 | -1.34% | 0.47% | 7.77% |
| L 2030 | -2.48% | 0.56% | 11.31% |
| L 2040 | -2.98% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| L 2050 | -3.41% | 0.59% | 14.41% |
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Daisy Thornton
Daisy Thornton is Federal News Network’s digital managing editor. In addition to her editing responsibilities, she covers federal management, workforce and technology issues. She is also the commentary editor; email her your letters to the editor and pitches for contributed bylines.
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