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Federal Employee Retirement Savings Funds Make Modest Gains in September

All but one of the Thrift Savings Plan offerings ended the month in the black.

Most of the funds in the federal employee 401(k)-style retirement savings plan made slight gains in September, though one did end the month in the red. 

The international stocks in the Thrift Savings Plan’s I Fund boasted the highest gains for last month, at 2.87%. The I Fund was up 13.21% for the year so far. 

The common stocks in the C Fund increased 1.87% for September, and had the highest returns for 2019 to date, at 20.54%. Meanwhile, the small- and midsize companies in the S Fund grew 1.06% last month and 17.57% for this year. 

The government securities in the G Fund also ended last month in the black, inching up 0.14% for September. The fund was up 1.79% for 2019. 

The fixed income bonds in the F Fund were the only TSP offering to lose ground in September, falling 0.54%. The F Fund remained positive for 2019 returns, though, with gains of 8.51%. 

All of the lifecycle (L) funds, which shift to a more stable mix of investments as employees near retirement, posted increases for September. The L Income fund, for those who have already started withdrawing money, was up 0.51% last month. The L 2020 Fund was up 0.63%; L 2030, 1.28%; L 2040, 1.5%; and L 2050, 1.69%. 

Similarly, the L funds all have grown in 2019. L Income was up 5.32% for the year to date; L, 2020, 6.71%; L 2030, 11.62%; L 2040, 13.5%; and L 2050, 15.08%.