Thrift Savings Plan funds grow slightly after losses in July

Three of the funds-C, S and I-each lost more than 3 percent of their value last month. Over the past year, only April saw more funds lose value. During August, however, the C and I funds regained some ground while the S Fund stayed even. All three have increased their value during the past year by at least 11 percent. The I Fund has grown by almost 23 percent over the past 12 months.

Investors in the TSP, a 401(k)-style retirement plan for federal employees, can invest in five funds. The Thrift plan has more than 3.2 million participants and $135 billion in assets.

For the second month in a row, the largest gainer was the F Fund, which is invested in fixed income securities. The F Fund grew by 1.9 percent in August, following a 1 percent gain in July. The fund earned a 6.1 percent return over the past 12 months. Last month, the F Fund showed only a 4.9 percent return over the past year.

The G Fund, which is invested in government securities, grew by 0.4 percent for the fourth consecutive month. The fund rose by 4.4 percent over the past year.

The C Fund, which consists of common stocks, gained 0.3 percent in August. The fund dropped 3.2 percent last month, but is up 11.3 percent over the past year.

The I Fund, which invests in international stocks, bounced back in August-with a 1 percent return-after a 3.2 percent drop in July. The fund has continued to show the largest 12-month gain, with a 22.9 percent return.

The S Fund, which invests in the stock of small and mid-size companies, remained even for August, one month after dropping more than 5 percent of its value. For the past year, the S Fund has grown by 12.2 percent.

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