October was a down month for most TSP funds. The F Fund (bonds) bounced back as interest rates eased, and the G Fund (government securities) edged higher, but the C Fund (large U.S. stocks), S Fund (small U.S. stocks), I Fund (international stocks) and most Lifecycle Funds finished lower, with a sharp selloff on the last trading day adding to the losses. Even so, most funds are still ahead for 2026, with the I, C and S stock funds leading and the F Fund hovering near breakeven. See how every TSP fund performed for the month, the year to date and the past 12 months.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
TSP Week in Review: Oct. 19-23, 2026
See how every TSP core and Lifecycle fund performed last week as a late-week tech selloff and an oil spike split the stock funds.
The TSP G Fund Is Safe From Market Losses — But Not From Inflation
The TSP’s G Fund protects your savings from market losses — its balance won’t decline when stocks fall or bond prices drop. But that protection doesn’t guarantee your savings will keep pace with inflation. When prices rise faster than the G Fund’s return, your account can hold more dollars while buying less than it used to. This guide’s analysis compares official G Fund returns with federal inflation data and examines the trade-off between market safety and long-term growth. It also considers how your retirement timeline, withdrawal plans and ability to tolerate market declines can affect the role the G Fund plays in your TSP.
TSP Week in Review: Oct. 12-16, 2026
A hotter inflation report and a sharp selloff in technology shares pushed the TSP’s stock funds lower, while the bond funds held up. See how each core and Lifecycle funds finished the week, and what could move them next
TSP Week in Review: Oct. 5-9, 2026
Stocks opened the week at a record, then rising yields and a tech selloff changed the mood. See which TSP funds held up.
The TSP Rule That Can Drain Your Nest Egg During a Downturn
When the market drops, many federal retirees count on a G Fund allocation to protect their nest egg — so withdrawals come from that safe cushion instead of digging into savings while they’re down. But the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) doesn’t let participants choose where a withdrawal comes from. Every payment is pulled proportionally, no matter what the market is doing, which can quietly drain the very savings a retiree was trying to protect. Using real TSP data from the 2008 financial crisis and the 2009 recovery that followed, this article shows exactly what that can cost, and walks through two practical ways to keep a downturn from working against a retirement nest egg.
TSP Week in Review: Sept. 14 – 18, 2026
The Fed hiked rates this week, and TSP funds didn’t all react the same way. See which funds held steady and which took a hit.
The Fed’s Rate Hike and TSP Fund Returns — September 16, 2026
What the Fed’s rate hike meant for your Thrift Savings Plan
TSP Week in Review: Sept. 7 – 11, 2026
A four-day trading week brought a rough stretch for most TSP investors, as escalating tensions overseas and a hotter-than-expected inflation report weighed on stocks. Every core fund but one closed the week lower, with one fund taking a noticeably steeper hit than the rest. See which funds held up, which one struggled most, and what next week’s Federal Reserve meeting could mean for TSP balances going forward.
How to Maximize Your 2026 TSP Contributions and Not Lose Agency Matching Contributions
Hitting the Thrift Savings Plan contribution and catch-up contribution limits too early in the year can still cost FERS employees their agency matching contributions. Ed Zurndorfer shows you how to calculate the right per-pay-date amount, whether you’re under age 50, ages 50-59, or in the age 60-63 “super catch-up” window.