The short version

Every TSP fund finished higher on Monday. Stock funds did most of the work, and the I Fund led with a gain of 1.64%. Bond and government securities funds barely moved, which is about what you would expect on a day when stocks are the story.

Stock funds

The C Fund closed at $121.3184, up 0.73%. That lines up closely with the S&P 500, which the fund tracks and which rose 0.72% in the index data below. Over five days the C Fund is up 2.52%, and it is up 10.55% for the year.

The S Fund gained 0.55% to $118.2014. It follows the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index, which holds mid-sized and smaller companies outside the S&P 500. It trailed the C Fund on the day and over five days (1.21% versus 2.52%), though its 16.26% year-to-date gain is well ahead of the C Fund's.

The I Fund is the one to note. It rose 1.64% to $65.2002, the only single fund above 1% that is not a long-dated L Fund. It tracks the MSCI ACWI ex-US ex-China index. The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) rose a similar 1.57% in the data I have, so the direction and size fit. The I Fund is up 1.99% over five days and 16.37% year to date, the best showing among the individual funds.

Bond and government funds

The F Fund added 0.16% to $21.0329. It tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate bond index. It is still down 0.39% over five days, with a year-to-date gain of 0.83%.

The G Fund rose 0.05% to $20.0292. It pays a Treasury-based rate and does not swing with markets, so it moves in small, steady steps. It is up 2.23% this year.

L Funds

The L Funds blend the five individual funds, so their results sit between the stock and bond results. L Income, the most conservative, gained 0.33%. L 2030 rose 0.58%, L 2040 rose 0.76%, and L 2050 rose 0.86%.

The longest-dated funds, L 2055 through L 2070, each gained 1.02%, crossing the 1% mark. That tracks with the larger stock exposure in those funds, including the I Fund's strong day. L 2075 was essentially the same at 1.02% on the day. Year to date, those funds are up about 13.27%.

What moved IRA index funds and ETFs

The prior-session figures for common IRA holdings tell a similar story, though they come from a different trading day than the TSP prices.

  • S&P 500: 7,537.43, up 0.72%.
  • VXUS: $86.17, up 1.57%, with international stocks outpacing U.S. large companies.
  • BND: $73.14, up 0.04%, essentially flat.
  • 10-year Treasury yield: 4.479%, down 0.13%.

A slightly lower yield usually goes with slightly firmer bond prices, which fits BND's tiny gain and the F Fund's modest one.

What it means for your plan

A strong day like this is pleasant, but one day rarely matters for a long-term plan. The more useful facts are the broad ones: stocks have done most of the lifting this year, bonds have been quiet, and your mix of funds decides how much of that you feel. If you hold a target-date or L Fund, that mix is already set for your timeline. This recap is general information, not advice tailored to your situation, so check your own goals and time horizon before changing anything.