TSP's C and S funds fall in September

The Thrift Savings Plan's C and S funds stumbled in September, after briefly rebounding in August, according to the latest numbers from the plan.

The C fund, which invests in common stocks, fell 10.87 percent last month, after gaining 0.67 percent in August. Despite the fund's brief revival in August, it has dropped 20.50 percent over the past year.

The TSP's S fund also slipped in September, posting a negative return rate of 6.84 percent. The S fund, which invests in the stocks of small- and mid-sized companies, rose 0.58 percent in August, but has fallen 7.49 percent in the last 12 months.

The I fund, which invests in international stocks, continued its downward spiral in September, dropping 10.75 percent. The fund, which has fallen 15.89 percent over the past year, has not posted positive returns since May.

The TSP's most consistent performers, the G and F funds, remained true to form last month. The G fund, made up of government securities, gained 0.37 percent in September, after an increase of 0.40 in August. The F fund, which consists of fixed-income bonds, rose 1.63 percent in September, after gaining 1.58 percent in August. The 12-month return for the G fund is 5.16 percent, while the F fund has grown 8.63 percent over the past year.

The monthly C, F, G, S and I Fund returns reflect net earnings on the amounts invested during the month.

For an index of the performance of the C, I and S funds that is updated each business day, see the "TSP Ticker" on the front page of GovExec.com.

September's rates of return appear below. The numbers in parentheses are negative.