TSP funds at the close

Thursday was a red day for nearly every stock-based TSP fund. The G Fund was the only one that finished in positive territory, and barely.

The C Fund dropped 1.21% to $119.2733. It follows the S&P 500, which fell the same 1.21%, so the match is exact. The fund is down 1.66% over five days but still up 8.68% for the year.

The I Fund lost 0.98% to $63.1339. Its benchmark is the MSCI ACWI ex-US ex-China, and the broad international ETF VXUS fell a similar 0.99%. The I Fund is still the year-to-date leader among the individual funds at 12.68%.

The S Fund slid 0.55% to $114.3141. It tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index, which covers companies outside the S&P 500. That group fell less than the large-cap names. The S Fund is down 1.15% over five days and up 12.44% this year.

The F Fund slipped 0.24% to $20.7658, in line with the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate bond benchmark's direction. Bond prices tend to ease when yields climb, and that happened Thursday. The F Fund is down 0.45% for the year.

The G Fund rose 0.01% to $20.0714. It pays a Treasury-based rate and carries no price swings, so it just keeps ticking along. Its year-to-date gain is 2.45%.

The L Funds

The L Funds are blends of the five core funds, so their moves depend on how much each holds in stocks. L Income, the most conservative, fell 0.30%. L 2030 dropped 0.57%, L 2040 fell 0.76%, and L 2050 slid 0.87%.

The L 2055 through L 2075 funds all fell 1.03%. They hold the heaviest stock mix, which is why they sit closest to the C Fund's decline.

Moves over 1%

Two things crossed that line on the TSP side. The C Fund fell 1.21%, and the L 2055, 2060, 2065, 2070 and 2075 funds each fell 1.03%. Everything else stayed under 1%.

What moved IRA index funds

The index data below is labeled as the prior session close, and it lines up with the TSP moves above.

The Nasdaq Composite had the roughest time, falling 2.15% to 25,137.689. The S&P 500 lost 1.21% to 7,408.3, and the Dow dropped 0.97% to 51,711.648. The Dow's smaller drop suggests the weakness leaned toward the Nasdaq's names.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) fell 1.13% to $364.69. The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) lost 0.99% to $83.62. Both are common core holdings in IRAs.

Bonds had a milder day. The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) slipped 0.21% to $72.25. The 10-year Treasury yield rose 0.99% to 4.703, which pushes bond prices down. That fits BND's small loss and the F Fund's 0.24% decline.

What it means for your plan

A 1% to 2% down day looks rough on a screen, but it is a normal event for a stock-heavy portfolio. The year-to-date numbers remain positive for the C, S, I and L Funds, and the five-day dips are modest.

Your own mix of funds, your time horizon and your contribution schedule matter far more than one Thursday. One day rarely changes a long-term plan. If your allocation still fits your goals, a single red session is not a reason to rethink it. This recap is general information, not advice for your situation.