The federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program mostly treaded water last month, with none of its core portfolios yielding at least 1% in growth.
Leading the pack in November was the Thrift Savings Plan’s fixed income (F) fund, which gained 0.64%. So far this year, the F Fund has grown 7.49%. The runner-up was the international investments of the I Fund, which increased 0.42% last month, bringing its 2025 performance to 28.54%.
The C Fund’s common stocks gained 0.24% in November. Since January, the C Fund has grown 17.78%. And the G Fund, which is made up of government securities, grew at its statutorily mandated rate of 0.34% last month, bringing its 2025 gains to 4.08%.
The small- and mid-size businesses of the S Fund finished November 0.45% in the red. In 2025, the S Fund has gained 11.97%.
All of the TSP’s lifecycle (L) funds, which shift toward more conservative investments as participants get closer to retirement, finished November slightly in the black. The L Income Fund, designed for those who have already begun making withdrawals, gained 0.35%; L 2030, 0.31%; L 2035, 0.30%; L 2040, 0.30%; L 2045, 0.29%; L 2050, 0.28%; L 2055, 0.23%; L 2060, 0.23%; L 2065, 0.23%; L 2070, 0.23%; and L 2075, 0.23%.
Since January, the L Income Fund has increased 8.80%; L 2030, 14.35%; L 2035, 15.39%; L 2040, 16.38%; L 2045, 17.23%; L 2050, 18.05%; L 2055, 20.65%; L 2060, 20.66%; L 2065, 20.66%; and L 2070, 20.67%. Year-to-date statistics for the L 2075 Fund, which launched earlier this year, will be available beginning next January.