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N-2
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
shares
Cover [Abstract]  
Entity Central Index Key 0000809559
Amendment Flag false
Document Type N-CSR
Entity Registrant Name TCW STRATEGIC INCOME FUND INC
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]  
Investment Objectives and Practices [Text Block]
Investment objective: 
The Fund’s investment objective is to seek a total return comprised of current income and capital appreciation.
Investment strategy: 
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a wide range of securities, including securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities (“U.S. Government Securities”), investment-grade corporate debt securities, high yield corporate debt securities,
non-U.S.
developed and emerging market debt mortgage-related securities, asset-backed securities, marketable small-,
mid-
and large-capitalization equity securities, convertible securities, money market securities, repurchase agreements, other securities and derivative instruments without limit believed by the Fund’s investment adviser to be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund will shift and reallocate its investments on an opportunistic basis and may invest in additional asset classes other than those identified above. The Fund may also employ leverage up to 33% of its total assets (including assets purchased with borrowings). The Fund has a stated goal of providing dependable, but not assured, quarterly distributions out of accumulated net investment income and/or other sources, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Risk Factors [Table Text Block]
Market Risk: 
The Fund’s investments will fluctuate with market conditions, and so will the value of your investment in the Fund. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund or the Fund could underperform other investments.
Liquidity Risk: 
The Fund’s investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may not be able to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Investments in high-yield securities, foreign securities, derivatives or other securities with substantial market and/or credit risk tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Certain investments in private placements and Rule 144A
securities may be considered illiquid investments. The Fund may invest in private placements and Rule 144A securities.
Interest Rate Risk: 
The values of the Fund’s investments fluctuate in response to movements in interest rates. If rates rise, the values of debt securities generally fall. The longer the average duration of the Fund’s investment portfolio, the greater the change in value.
Mortgage-Backed and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk: 
The Fund may invest in MBS or other ABS. The values of some mortgage-backed securities or other asset-backed securities may expose the Fund to a lower rate of return upon reinvestment of principal. When interest rates rise, the value of mortgage-related securities generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of mortgage-related securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed-income securities. The rate of prepayments on underlying mortgages will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security, and may shorten or extend the effective maturity of the security beyond what was anticipated at the time of purchase. The value of these securities may fluctuate in response to the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers. Additionally, although mortgages and mortgage-related securities are generally supported by some form of government or private guarantee and/or insurance, there is no assurance that private guarantors or insurers will meet their obligations.
Derivatives Risk: 
Use of derivatives, which at times is an important part of the Fund’s investment strategy, involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Investments in derivatives could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective through the use of the derivatives.
Credit Risk: 
The values of any of the Fund’s investments may also decline in response to events affecting the issuer or its credit rating. The lower-rated debt securities in which the Fund may invest are considered speculative and are subject to greater volatility and risk of loss than investment-grade securities, particularly in deteriorating economic conditions. The value of some mortgage-related securities in which the Fund invests also may fall because of unanticipated levels of principal prepayments that can occur when interest rates decline. The Fund invests a material portion of its assets in securities of issuers that hold mortgage- and asset-backed securities and direct investments in securities backed by commercial and residential mortgage loans and other financial assets. The value and related income of these securities are sensitive to changes in economic conditions, including delinquencies and/or defaults. Continuing shifts in the market’s perception of credit quality on securities backed by commercial and residential mortgage loans and other financial assets may result in increased volatility of market prices and periods of illiquidity that can negatively impact the valuation of certain issuers held by the Fund.
MBS and ABS are characterized and classified in a variety of different ways. These classifications include a view of the securities’ cash flow structure (pass-through, sequential pay, prepayment-protected, interest only, principal only, etc.), the security of the claim on the underlying assets (senior, mezzanine and subordinated), as well as types of underlying collateral (prime conforming loans, prime
non-conforming
loans,
Alt-A
loans, subprime loans, commercial loans, etc.). In many cases, the classification incorporates a degree of subjectivity: a particular loan might be categorized as “prime” by the underwriting standards of one mortgage issuer while another might classify the loan as “subprime.” In addition to other functions, the risk associated with an investment in a mortgage loan must take into account the nature of the
collateral, the form and the level of credit enhancement, the vintage of the loan, the geography of the loan, the purpose of the loan (refinance versus purchase versus equity takeout), the borrower’s credit quality (e.g., FICO score), and whether the loan is a first trust deed or a second lien.
Counterparty Risk: 
The Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk, the risk that an entity with which the Fund has unsettled or open transactions may not fulfill its obligations.
LIBOR Risk:
 The London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) was a leading benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, including corporate and municipal bonds, bank loans, asset backed and mortgage-related securities, interest rate swaps and other derivatives. In July 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates LIBOR, announced the gradual phase out of the LIBOR rate, with nearly all LIBOR rate publications having ceased as of June 30, 2023 (some LIBOR rates continue to be published, but only on a temporary and synthetic basis). Alternatives to LIBOR have been established and others may be developed. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, has identified the Secured Overnight Financial Rate (SOFR) as the preferred alternative rate to LIBOR. SOFR is a relatively new index calculated by short-term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities. There remains uncertainty surrounding the nature of any replacement rates. The transition to a new reference rate may result in (i) increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments or contracts that previously relied on or still rely on LIBOR, (ii) a reduction in the value of certain instruments or contracts held by a Fund, (iii) reduced effectiveness of related Fund transactions, such as hedging, (iv) additional tax, accounting and regulatory risks, or (v) costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any pricing adjustments to a Fund’s investments resulting from a substitute reference rate may also adversely affect a Fund’s performance and/or NAV. There is no assurance that the composition or characteristics of any such alternative reference rate will be similar to or produce the same value or economic equivalence as LIBOR or that instruments or contracts using an alternative rate will have the same volume or liquidity.
Market Risk [Member]  
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]  
Risk [Text Block]
Market Risk: 
The Fund’s investments will fluctuate with market conditions, and so will the value of your investment in the Fund. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund or the Fund could underperform other investments.
Liquidity Risk [Member]  
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]  
Risk [Text Block]
Liquidity Risk: 
The Fund’s investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may not be able to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Investments in high-yield securities, foreign securities, derivatives or other securities with substantial market and/or credit risk tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Certain investments in private placements and Rule 144A
securities may be considered illiquid investments. The Fund may invest in private placements and Rule 144A securities.
Mortgage-Backed and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk [Member]  
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]  
Risk [Text Block]
Mortgage-Backed and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk: 
The Fund may invest in MBS or other ABS. The values of some mortgage-backed securities or other asset-backed securities may expose the Fund to a lower rate of return upon reinvestment of principal. When interest rates rise, the value of mortgage-related securities generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of mortgage-related securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed-income securities. The rate of prepayments on underlying mortgages will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security, and may shorten or extend the effective maturity of the security beyond what was anticipated at the time of purchase. The value of these securities may fluctuate in response to the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers. Additionally, although mortgages and mortgage-related securities are generally supported by some form of government or private guarantee and/or insurance, there is no assurance that private guarantors or insurers will meet their obligations.
Derivatives Risk [Member]  
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]  
Risk [Text Block]
Derivatives Risk: 
Use of derivatives, which at times is an important part of the Fund’s investment strategy, involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Investments in derivatives could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective through the use of the derivatives.
Credit Risk [Member]  
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]  
Risk [Text Block]
Credit Risk: 
The values of any of the Fund’s investments may also decline in response to events affecting the issuer or its credit rating. The lower-rated debt securities in which the Fund may invest are considered speculative and are subject to greater volatility and risk of loss than investment-grade securities, particularly in deteriorating economic conditions. The value of some mortgage-related securities in which the Fund invests also may fall because of unanticipated levels of principal prepayments that can occur when interest rates decline. The Fund invests a material portion of its assets in securities of issuers that hold mortgage- and asset-backed securities and direct investments in securities backed by commercial and residential mortgage loans and other financial assets. The value and related income of these securities are sensitive to changes in economic conditions, including delinquencies and/or defaults. Continuing shifts in the market’s perception of credit quality on securities backed by commercial and residential mortgage loans and other financial assets may result in increased volatility of market prices and periods of illiquidity that can negatively impact the valuation of certain issuers held by the Fund.
MBS and ABS are characterized and classified in a variety of different ways. These classifications include a view of the securities’ cash flow structure (pass-through, sequential pay, prepayment-protected, interest only, principal only, etc.), the security of the claim on the underlying assets (senior, mezzanine and subordinated), as well as types of underlying collateral (prime conforming loans, prime
non-conforming
loans,
Alt-A
loans, subprime loans, commercial loans, etc.). In many cases, the classification incorporates a degree of subjectivity: a particular loan might be categorized as “prime” by the underwriting standards of one mortgage issuer while another might classify the loan as “subprime.” In addition to other functions, the risk associated with an investment in a mortgage loan must take into account the nature of the
collateral, the form and the level of credit enhancement, the vintage of the loan, the geography of the loan, the purpose of the loan (refinance versus purchase versus equity takeout), the borrower’s credit quality (e.g., FICO score), and whether the loan is a first trust deed or a second lien.
Counterparty Risk [Member]  
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]  
Risk [Text Block]
Counterparty Risk: 
The Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk, the risk that an entity with which the Fund has unsettled or open transactions may not fulfill its obligations.
LIBOR Risk [Member]  
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]  
Risk [Text Block]
LIBOR Risk:
 The London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) was a leading benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, including corporate and municipal bonds, bank loans, asset backed and mortgage-related securities, interest rate swaps and other derivatives. In July 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates LIBOR, announced the gradual phase out of the LIBOR rate, with nearly all LIBOR rate publications having ceased as of June 30, 2023 (some LIBOR rates continue to be published, but only on a temporary and synthetic basis). Alternatives to LIBOR have been established and others may be developed. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, has identified the Secured Overnight Financial Rate (SOFR) as the preferred alternative rate to LIBOR. SOFR is a relatively new index calculated by short-term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities. There remains uncertainty surrounding the nature of any replacement rates. The transition to a new reference rate may result in (i) increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments or contracts that previously relied on or still rely on LIBOR, (ii) a reduction in the value of certain instruments or contracts held by a Fund, (iii) reduced effectiveness of related Fund transactions, such as hedging, (iv) additional tax, accounting and regulatory risks, or (v) costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. Any pricing adjustments to a Fund’s investments resulting from a substitute reference rate may also adversely affect a Fund’s performance and/or NAV. There is no assurance that the composition or characteristics of any such alternative reference rate will be similar to or produce the same value or economic equivalence as LIBOR or that instruments or contracts using an alternative rate will have the same volume or liquidity.
Interest Rate Risk [Member]  
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]  
Risk [Text Block]
Interest Rate Risk: 
The values of the Fund’s investments fluctuate in response to movements in interest rates. If rates rise, the values of debt securities generally fall. The longer the average duration of the Fund’s investment portfolio, the greater the change in value.
Common Shares [Member]  
Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract]  
Outstanding Security, Title [Text Block] Common Stock
Outstanding Security, Authorized [Shares] 75,000,000
Outstanding Security, Held [Shares] 47,785,440