Thursday's TSP scorecard

Every TSP fund finished higher on Thursday, Sept. 11. Stocks did the heavy lifting, and the G Fund did what it always does, which is very little.

The S Fund led at +1.57%, to $100.6752. That is the only TSP fund above the 1% mark today. The C Fund added 0.85% to $105.0159, and the I Fund rose 0.68% to $52.0946. The F Fund gained 0.19% to $20.7547. The G Fund crept up 0.01% to $19.3382.

Why the funds line up with their benchmarks

The C Fund tracks the S&P 500, and the index showed the same +0.85%. That is the point of an index fund.

The S Fund follows the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index, which covers U.S. mid-size and smaller companies outside the S&P 500. A day like this one, when broad stocks rise, often shows up with more force there. The S Fund is also ahead over five days (+2.05% against 1.34% for the C Fund), though it trails the C Fund for the year at 11.37% versus 13.26%.

The I Fund follows MSCI ACWI ex-US ex-China. Its 0.68% gain was solid, and its five-day return of 2.3% is the best of the individual funds. Its year-to-date figure of 24.24% is well ahead of everything else in the lineup.

The F Fund tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate bond index. The 10-year Treasury yield slipped 0.52% to 4.011%, and falling yields generally lift bond prices, which fits the F Fund's modest gain. The G Fund earns a Treasury-based rate with no price swings, so +0.01% is normal.

The L Funds

The L Funds blend the five individual funds, so their results sit between the G Fund and the stock funds. L Income, with the most cushion, rose 0.26%. L 2030 gained 0.54%, L 2040 0.65%, and L 2050 0.74%. The longest-dated funds, L 2055 through L 2070, all gained 0.87% because they hold the most stock.

One oddity: L 2075 shows 6.19% year to date, far below the roughly 16.7% of the funds next to it. I would check that figure on tsp.gov before reading anything into it.

Beyond the TSP: what moved IRA holdings

The index and ETF figures I have are labeled as the prior session close, so treat them as context rather than an exact same-day match. The picture was still broadly positive.

The S&P 500 rose 0.85% to 6587.47. The Dow Jones Industrial Average did better, up 1.36% to 46108.0, the only major index above 1%. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.72% to 22043.07.

For ETFs, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) rose 0.93% to $324.78. The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) gained 1.13% to $73.33, so overseas stocks held their own. The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) added 0.21% to $74.66, matching the small bond gain in the F Fund.

The data doesn't include a specific news catalyst, so I won't guess at one. What it shows is a broad advance, with smaller companies and the Dow ahead of the Nasdaq.

What it means for your plan

A day when every fund is green feels good, but it tells you very little about your retirement. The S Fund's 1.57% move will be a footnote if you hold it for years, and a day like this can reverse just as easily.

If you invest on a regular schedule and your allocation still matches your timeline and comfort with risk, today needs no action. If you are considering a change, make it based on your goals and your own situation, not on one session's numbers. Check your statement, check your allocation once in a while, and let time do its work.