Bad Month for TSP Funds

All Thrift Savings Plan funds were down in October except the government securities (G) fund, which by design cannot have a losing month. The international stock (I) fund lost 2.9 percent, the small U.S. company stock (S) fund lost 2.33 percent, the large company stock (C) fund lost 1.66 percent, and the bond (F) fund lost 0.75 percent. The 12-month returns for those funds are 17.47, 17.1, 8.75 and 1.15 percent, respectively. The G fund gained 0.36 percent in October for a 4.34 percent 12-month gain. Dragged down by the losses in the stock and bond funds, the lifecycle funds also had their first losing month since being introduced in August. The L income fund was down, 0.17 percent, the 2010 fund down 0.93 percent, the 2020 fund down 1.34 percent, the 2030 fund down 1.67 percent and the 2040 fund down 1.9 percent. The differences in those losses reflect the heavier weighting toward stocks the farther out the expected withdrawal date.