Monday's TSP close

Stocks were mostly lower in the TSP on Monday, March 30, while bonds did the opposite. The one move over 1% was in the S Fund.

The S Fund closed at $95.8834, down 1.03% on the day. It tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index, which holds small and mid-size companies outside the S&P 500. It is also down 3.3% over five days and 5.69% for the year.

The C Fund finished at $101.7900, down 0.39%, in line with the S&P 500's 0.40% drop in the index data below. The five-day loss is 3.6% and the year-to-date loss is 7.25%. That is the largest five-day slide among the individual funds.

The I Fund, which follows the MSCI ACWI ex-US ex-China index, barely moved: $55.2561, down 0.05%. It is off 1.95% for five days and 1.38% for the year.

Bonds and the G Fund

The F Fund rose 0.54% to $20.8472. It follows the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate index, and bond prices rise when yields fall. The 10-year Treasury yield dropped 2.21% to 4.342%, and the BND bond ETF gained 0.51%, so the F Fund's move fits.

The G Fund added 0.03% to $19.7896. It earns a Treasury-based rate and doesn't swing with markets. It is up 1.01% for the year.

L Funds

The L Funds blend the individual funds, so the more stock a fund holds, the more it slipped.

  • L Income: down 0.04%, with a 0.69% loss for the year.
  • L 2030: down 0.16%.
  • L 2040: down 0.21%.
  • L 2050: down 0.25%.
  • L 2055 through L 2075: all down 0.35%, each down 4.92% for the year.

The F Fund's gain cushioned the longer-dated funds a bit, but not enough to turn any of them positive.

What moved IRA holdings

These index and ETF figures are from the prior session's close, so they won't match the TSP numbers exactly.

The S&P 500 closed at 6343.72, down 0.40%. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.73% to 20794.641, the weakest of the three major indexes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.11% to 45216.141. That split is a reminder that the Dow, with its 30 large companies, can behave differently from broader measures.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) slipped 0.45% to $311.68, which is close to the S&P 500's move. The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) lost 0.08% to $74.63. The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) rose 0.51% to $73.48, the day's best performer among the funds listed here.

The data doesn't say why stocks or yields moved, so I won't guess.

What it means for your plan

One down day, even one with a 1% drop in a single fund, rarely matters for a retirement plan measured in years or decades. The more useful number is how your overall mix is built and whether it still fits your timeline. Monday's results are a small example of why mixing stocks and bonds exists: the F Fund rose while the C and S Funds fell.

If you are a long way from retirement, a 7.25% year-to-date loss in the C Fund is uncomfortable but within the range stock investors have seen before. If you are close to needing the money, check that your allocation reflects that. Either way, this is general information, not advice for your situation.