For the third month in a row, federal retirement portfolios posted gains, but the pace of growth cooled in October. 9dreamstudio/Getty Images
Growth slowed in most TSP funds in October
Despite a slowing rate of return, last month still marked the third consecutive month in which all portfolios in the Thrift Savings Plan all increased in value.
For the third straight month, every portfolio in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program finished in the black, albeit with returns growing at a slower pace than September.
The common stocks of the Thrift Savings Plan’s C Fund sported the best performance, increasing 2.34% in October. Since January, the C Fund has grown 17.49%. The I Fund’s international investments came in second, gaining 2.13% in value last month, good enough for a TSP-best 28.01% return so far this year.
The small- and mid-size businesses in the S Fund crept up 1.16% in October, bringing its 2025 performance to 12.47%. And the fixed income (F) fund gained 0.62% last month, increasing its 2025 returns to 6.80%.
The G Fund, which is made up of government securities, increased by its statutorily mandated rate of 0.36% last month. Since January, the G Fund has increased 3.72%.
Each of the TSP’s lifecycle (L) funds, which shift toward more conservative investments as participants near retirement, similarly posted gains. The L Income Fund, designed for those already making withdrawals, grew 0.87%; L 2030, 1.42%; L 2035, 1.55%; L 2040, 1.65%; L 2045, 1.74%; L 2050, 1.83%; L 2055, 2.11%; L 2060, 2.11%; L 2065, 2.11%; L 2070, 2.11%; and L 2075, which launched in July, 2.11%.
Since January, the L Income Fund has increased 8.43%; L 2030, 13.99%; L 2035, 15.04%; L 2040, 16.04%; L 2045, 16.89%; L 2050, 17.72%; L 1055, 20.38%; L 2060, 20.38%; L 2065, 20.39%; and L 2070, 20.40%.