In the past week, the DOW Jones has dropped 1,000 points (6%). If you're like me, then you should get excited when you see quick market drops because they offer better buying opportunities. It's like your favorite pair of shoes went on sale. Even if 100% of your retirement savings is in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), you can still take advantage of stock market dips and rallies.
The easiest way is to log into www.tsp.gov and change the percentage you contribute to each month. The default fund is the "G Fund" which is the safest but offers the least return. It's very important to check that you don't have 100% of your retirement savings in the "G Fund"; especially if you're under 40-years old. When the stock market dips for a couple of months, you can increase the amount of money you have from each paycheck into the C, S or I Funds. When the stock market rallies, you can reduce the percentage if you're uncomfortable with the risk.
Another way of taking advantage of stock market dips and rallies is to request an Interfund Transfer (IFT). This changes the percentage of your overall portfolio by moving the selected percentage into a different fund. You can increase the percentage to the C, S, or I Funds during stock market dips. TSP has a limit to only 2 IFTs a month. You can request an IFTs by logging onto www.tsp.gov or you can call the TSP ThriftLine. (https://www.tsp.gov/planparticipation/interfundbp/IFTs.shtml)
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