TSP Stock Funds Tumble in March

The TSP stock funds tumbled in March reflecting growing concerns about interest rates and inflation.

The Federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) results for the past month are in and the TSP stock funds reflect the overall action in the stock market.

The biggest loser in the past month was the I fund which declined 2.52%. It is also the biggest winner for the past 12 months with a gain of 14.96%.

The second biggest loser for March is the S fund. It is down 1.86% for the month but is still up 7.95% for the past twelve months.

The C fund also lost money but less than the other stock funds–it was down 1.71% for the month and has a gain of 6.76% for the past twelve months.

The G fund, as usual, is up slightly for the month with a gain of 0.37%. It is up 4.45% for the past twelve months. The F fund is down, however, with a loss for the month of 0.48%. It also has the smallest return of all the TSP funds for the last twelve months with a return of 1.17%.

The stock market is also down for the entire first quarter of the year. This is the third year in a row that the stock market index for America’s largest stocks has been down in the first quarter of the year.

The biggest concerns in the market now appear to be interest rates, which are rising again, and inflation. Both of these can have an impact on the purchasing of goods and services and ultimately impact the overall profitability of companies.

There is also a concern that the bull market may be nearing an end and that stocks may fall further this year.

Last year, stocks were down early and started making a strong comeback just before the presidential election. Investors in the TSP funds undoubtedly hope for a similar turnaround this year although many analysts are more pessimistic than they were last year because of inflation and interest rate fears.

About the Author

Ralph Smith has several decades of experience working with federal human resources issues. He has written extensively on a full range of human resources topics in books and newsletters and is a co-founder of two companies and several newsletters on federal human resources. Follow Ralph on Twitter: @RalphSmith47