on 2009/01/15 by Alex, [TSP,Thrift Savings Plan]

We are continuing to make money by staying in bonds. In the last month alone, our Balanced allocation has made 2.40%. This, while all three TSP stock funds have dropped, with the I Fund (“Europe Pacific”) dropping by 4.43% in a single month. We pick the mix of funds that maximizes the expected returns while [...]

on 2009/01/12 by Alex, [TSP,Thrift Savings Plan]

We pick the mix of funds that maximizes the expected returns while not exceeding a fixed maximum risk. The F Fund (“Total Bond”) continues to perform exceptionally well compared to the other funds that we track. So much so, that we are keeping all of our money in it. While bonds are on a steady [...]

on 2009/01/02 by Alex, [TSP,Thrift Savings Plan]

We hear again and again that buying and holding stocks for the long term is a great investment strategy. Yes, stocks can have their ups and downs, we are told, but in the “long term”, they are a great investment. Long-term stock returns. Is this really true? Whenever someone makes claims about returns, always ask [...]

on 2009/01/01 by Alex, [TSP,Thrift Savings Plan]

Happy New Year! Over the past year, our Conservative allocation has stayed basically flat, while our Balanced allocation did drop by about 5%. This, while the stock funds have dropped by about 40%. We’ve been gaining momentum as the end of the year was approaching. For instance, in the month of December alone, we’ve made [...]