Updated October 2, 2026. Quick answer: Through September 30, 2026, the TSP’s official returns were 15.72% for the C Fund over the last 12 months, 11.82% for the S Fund, 23.06% for the I Fund, −1.77% for the F Fund and 4.51% for the G Fund. Over 10 years the C Fund averaged 15.30% a year and the G Fund 2.97%. The tables below carry every fund, its index, and the lifecycle funds.
TSP fund returns through September 30, 2026
These figures come from the Thrift Savings Plan’s own monthly returns data, read on October 2, 2026 with data through September 2026, and checked against the rates of return page on tsp.gov. TSP describes that page this way: “Your TSP rates show investment performance over time.” The 1, 3, 5 and 10 year columns are average annual returns, as the next section shows.
| Fund or index | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since inception | Fund inception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G Fund | 4.51% | 4.50% | 3.97% | 2.97% | 4.64% | April 1, 1987 |
| F Fund | −1.77% | 4.07% | −0.57% | 1.23% | 5.12% | January 29, 1988 |
| U.S. Aggregate Index (F Fund benchmark) | −1.84% | 4.06% | −0.64% | 1.14% | 5.10% | Index |
| C Fund | 15.72% | 22.85% | 13.76% | 15.30% | 11.45% | January 29, 1988 |
| S&P 500 (C Fund benchmark) | 15.74% | 22.89% | 13.79% | 15.33% | 11.47% | Index |
| S Fund | 11.82% | 18.73% | 6.23% | 11.19% | 9.60% | May 1, 2001 |
| DJ TSM (S Fund benchmark) | 11.59% | 18.55% | 6.03% | 11.05% | 9.48% | Index |
| I Fund | 23.06% | 21.20% | 10.96% | 10.06% | 6.46% | May 1, 2001 |
| International Index (I Fund benchmark) | 23.15% | 20.84% | 10.66% | 9.73% | 6.28% | Index |
The index rows are the benchmarks TSP prints beside each fund. The since-inception column is TSP’s own figure, which it counts from each fund’s inception date.
How to read the 1, 3, 5 and 10 year columns
The rates of return page does not label a multi-year figure as a total or a yearly average, so the check was done directly. For every fund and index with a figure in the data file, we recomputed the 12, 36, 60 and 120 month results by compounding TSP’s own monthly returns and converting to a yearly rate. All 69 recomputed values matched TSP’s published figure to within 0.03 percentage points. The 3, 5 and 10 year columns are therefore average annual returns, and the 1 year column is the plain 12 month return.
That matters when you compare columns. A 10 year figure of 15.30% for the C Fund means roughly that rate in each of the ten years on average, not a ten year total. TSP’s own advice on reading its numbers is “Focus on longer timeframes (5-10 years) for a true picture of retirement investing rather than short-term fluctuations.”
Calendar-year returns, 2021 through September 2026
Calendar years show how uneven the path is. The 2022 column is the clearest example, and every figure below is TSP’s own calendar-year return.
| Fund | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 through September |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G Fund | 1.38% | 2.98% | 4.22% | 4.40% | 4.44% | 3.41% |
| F Fund | −1.46% | −12.83% | 5.58% | 1.33% | 7.21% | −2.75% |
| C Fund | 28.68% | −18.13% | 26.25% | 24.96% | 17.85% | 12.73% |
| S Fund | 12.45% | −26.26% | 25.30% | 16.93% | 11.38% | 11.62% |
| I Fund | 11.45% | −13.94% | 18.38% | 4.27% | 32.45% | 16.45% |
Lifecycle funds: 1, 3, 5 and 10 years
The L Funds are shown only for the periods they existed. TSP prints “Not applicable” where a fund is too new for a window, and the table follows TSP.
| Lifecycle fund | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Fund inception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L Income | 7.88% | 9.05% | 6.10% | 5.43% | August 1, 2005 |
| L 2030 | 11.61% | 14.70% | 8.62% | 9.15% | August 1, 2005 |
| L 2035 | 12.92% | 15.92% | 9.14% | Not applicable | July 1, 2020 |
| L 2040 | 13.65% | 16.93% | 9.55% | 10.31% | August 1, 2005 |
| L 2045 | 14.29% | 17.80% | 9.87% | Not applicable | July 1, 2020 |
| L 2050 | 14.96% | 18.67% | 10.23% | 11.26% | January 31, 2011 |
| L 2055 | 17.70% | 21.72% | 11.78% | Not applicable | July 1, 2020 |
| L 2060 | 17.70% | 21.72% | 11.78% | Not applicable | July 1, 2020 |
| L 2065 | 17.70% | 21.72% | 11.77% | Not applicable | July 1, 2020 |
| L 2070 | 17.69% | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | July 26, 2024 |
| L 2075 | 17.69% | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | June 30, 2025 |
Each fund against its own index
Four of the funds have an index TSP lists as its benchmark. The difference between the fund and the index is a subtraction of two published figures, so it is computed here, in percentage points a year.
| Computed difference | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Fund minus S&P 500 | −0.02 points | −0.04 points | −0.03 points | −0.03 points |
| S Fund minus DJ TSM | +0.23 points | +0.18 points | +0.20 points | +0.14 points |
| I Fund minus International Index | −0.09 points | +0.36 points | +0.30 points | +0.33 points |
| F Fund minus U.S. Aggregate Index | +0.07 points | +0.01 points | +0.07 points | +0.09 points |
A positive number means the fund beat its index over that window; a negative one means it trailed. The differences are small next to the gaps between the funds themselves, which is the point of an index fund.
What these numbers cannot tell you
Past returns describe a path, not a promise, and the funds do different jobs. The G Fund’s return has no down year in the calendar table above, and what each fund is required to hold is explained on the TSP funds page. Which mix suits you depends on your retirement date, other income and how you plan to draw the account; the withdrawal choices are on the TSP withdrawal options page and the alternative of moving the balance is on the keep TSP or roll to IRA page.
Common mistakes
- Reading a 10 year average annual figure as a ten year total.
- Comparing one fund’s 1 year return with another fund’s 10 year average.
- Picking a fund because it led last year. The calendar-year table shows the leader changes.
- Reading a lifecycle fund’s short history as a long record. A fund shown as not applicable for 10 years has less than 10 years of results.
Related: TSP funds explained, keep TSP or roll to an IRA, TSP withdrawal options, and TSP contribution limits.
Find the right next step for your situation
About how much do you have invested? Pick the range that fits; your next step appears immediately below.
Compare vetted advisors for your retirement accounts
If your portfolio is $250,000 or more, this connects you (free, with no obligation to hire anyone) with 2 to 3 vetted advisors.
Before you start, what actually happens. The matching service is run by WiserAdvisor, an independent advisor-matching company. It opens on their site, asks for your ZIP code and a few questions, and matches you with 2 to 3 vetted advisors. It is free to you.
WiserAdvisor states the service is built for portfolios of $250,000 and above. By submitting, you consent to emails, phone calls and text messages from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisors, so expect to be contacted. Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment for a qualifying completed form, whether or not you ever hire anyone.
Opens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
See how an advisor fits your TSP
Price the destination before you decide. The matching service below introduces you to advisers who pay to meet you.
Before you start, what actually happens. The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Kapitalwise sends your details to advisers who pay for the introduction, so expect calls and texts. Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment for a qualifying submitted form, whether or not you ever hire anyone. This is free to you and there is no obligation to hire anyone.
The Kapitalwise form opens here; you stay on this page.
What happens when you press the button
It asks about nine questions: age, investable assets, location; then your name, email and phone number, and verifies the phone by text. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
Prefer flat-fee or hourly pricing instead? Compare ranges here.
Answer againSources
- TSP, Rates of return (tsp.gov): https://www.tsp.gov/rates-return/
- TSP, monthly returns data file (tsp.gov): https://www.tsp.gov/data/getMonthlyReturnsSummary.csv?Lfunds=1&InvFunds=1&IndexFunds=1&Lifetime=1&Inception=1&Trailing=1
Read from the IRS documents linked above on October 2, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the account provider or the IRS is the right place to confirm anything consequential.