Thursday's TSP results

Stocks did the lifting on Thursday while the safe funds mostly sat still. Four of the five core TSP funds rose, and the two stock funds that run on smaller companies and foreign markets did the most.

The S Fund gained 1.86% to $109.0550, the best of the group. The I Fund rose 1.77% to $61.6621. The C Fund added 1.03% to $115.7553, in line with its S&P 500 benchmark, which rose 1.02% in the index data below. The F Fund edged up 0.11% to $20.9159, and the G Fund, which tracks a Treasury rate and barely moves, gained 0.01% to $19.8633.

Nothing fell on the day. The only red number in the data is the F Fund's 5-day return of -0.37%.

Moves over 1%

Three core funds cleared the 1% mark: S, I and C. The S Fund's jump is worth a second look. Its 5-day gain is only 0.4%, so the day's move made up most of the week's progress. The I Fund leads year to date at 10.05%, ahead of the S Fund at 7.27% and the C Fund at 5.48%.

The F Fund's tiny gain fits with the 10-year Treasury yield slipping 0.63% to 4.39%. Lower yields usually mean slightly higher bond prices.

The L Funds

The L Funds blend the stock and bond funds, so their results follow how much stock each one holds. L 2055 through L 2075 are the most stock-heavy and all gained 1.38%, with 7.29% year to date. L 2050 rose 1.15%, L 2045 1.08% and L 2040 1.01%.

L 2035 added 0.93% and L 2030 added 0.78%. L Income, with the most in G and F, rose 0.40%. The order is just what you'd expect when stocks rise and bonds barely move.

What moved IRA holdings

The broad index funds and ETFs that fill most IRAs also rose. These figures are labeled as the prior session close.

  • S&P 500: +1.02% to 7209.01
  • Dow Jones Industrial Average: +1.62% to 49652.141
  • Nasdaq Composite: +0.89% to 24892.311
  • Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI): +1.13% to $354.18
  • Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS): +2.25% to $83.06
  • Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND): +0.15% to $73.50

The Dow outpaced the Nasdaq, so the gains were not confined to tech-heavy names. VTI's 1.13% sits close to the S&P 500, which makes sense for a fund that holds the whole U.S. market. VXUS rose the most, which matches the strong showing from the TSP's I Fund. The two don't hold exactly the same mix, since the I Fund's benchmark excludes China, so the numbers differ a bit.

BND's 0.15% gain is the bond-side match for the F Fund's 0.11% and the lower 10-year yield. The data doesn't say what caused the move, so I won't guess.

What it means for your plan

A strong day like this one feels good, but one session rarely matters for a plan measured in years or decades. Thursday's gains will be a small line in your long-term record, just as a bad day would be. Your mix of stock, bond and G Fund money is what drives results over time, not any single morning.

If you hold an L Fund, it is already built to rebalance for you. This is general information, not personal advice, and your own timeline and comfort with risk are what should set your allocation. The best move on most days is to check in, note the numbers and carry on.