All TSP Funds in the Black in July

Each portfolio in the 401(k)-style retirement program for federal employees saw modest growth last month.

Every fund in the federal employee 401(k)-style retirement program gained ground in July, adding to what has already been a productive 2017 for investors.

The Thrift Savings Plan’s portfolio of international stocks, which lost money in June, saw the most improvement last month with a 2.88 percent increase, making for a 17.39 percent gain since the start of the year.

The C Fund’s common stocks grew by 2.05 percent in July, bringing its 2017 total to 11.59 percent. Small business stocks increased 1.11 percent last month, bringing its yield up to 8.61 percent on the year.

The program’s two most stable funds continued their modest growth as well. The G Fund, made up of government securities, grew by 0.19 percent in July. Since the beginning of 2017, the portfolio gained 1.36 percent.

And the fixed income (F) fund grew by 0.43 percent to rebound from a June where it lost value. Since January, the fund has grown by 2.92 percent.

The TSP’s lifecycle (L) funds, which shift investments toward more stable portfolios as people get closer to retirement, all continued their modest growth last month. The L Income Fund, designed for people who already have begun receiving annuities, increased by 0.60 percent in July. L 2020 increased by 0.96 percent; L 2030, 1.42 percent; L 2040, 1.63 percent; and L 2050, 1.82 percent.

Since the beginning of the year, the L Income Fund has grown by 3.69 percent; L 2020, 5.96 percent; L 2030, 8.53 percent; L 2040, 9.78 percent; and L 2050, 10.91 percent.