TSP funds thrive during dog days of summer

For the first time since May, all the funds in the Thrift Savings Plan posted positive returns last month, according to the latest numbers from the plan.

The C fund grew by 1.94 percent in August, after a 1.78 percent gain in July. The C fund invests in common stocks and has increased by 11.95 percent since September 2002.

The S fund, which invests in the stocks of small- and mid-sized companies, picked up 4.12 percent in August, after a 4.60 percent boost in July. The S fund has steadily risen 25.39 percent in the past year.

The I fund increased 2.39 percent in August, after a 2.35 percent lift in July. The fund invests in international stocks and has climbed 9.00 percent since September 2002.

The G fund gave a steady performance last month, rising 0.40 percent, after a 0.30 percent increase in July. The fund, which is made up of government securities, has posted positive returns every month for the last year, growing 4.05 percent over the past 12 months.

And after a 3.41 percent dip in July, the F fund bounced back in August posting a positive return of 0.73 percent. The F fund has risen 4.41 percent over the past 12 months.

The monthly G, F, C, 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.

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