DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2001: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2001 (310 buys, $31,000 in total) would be worth $189,337 today (+510.77%).
Backtest 1 January 2001 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$189,337
+510.77% · +12.05%/yr
- Invested
- $31,000.00
- Buys
- 310
- Average cost
- $2,819.96
Lump sum, day one
Winner$290,592
+837.39%
- Invested
- $31,000.00
- Bought at
- $1,837.37
- Max drawdown
- 55.25%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$487,584
+1472.85%
- Bought on
- 9 Mar 2009
- At a price of
- $1,095.04
- Not a plan you could follow
How it would have felt
Over this period the plan was worth less than the money you’d put in on 13.5% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 813 days (to 1 Sept 2003). The worst moment was 9 Mar 2009, when it was down 35.9% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 6 Jul 2010. The average cost per unit was $2,819.96 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+510.77%). The cheapest buy was $1,188.84 on 1 Mar 2009 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2001 | $1,200 | $1,159 | -3.44% |
| 31 Dec 2002 | $2,400 | $1,967 | -18.05% |
| 31 Dec 2003 | $3,600 | $3,956 | +9.90% |
| 31 Dec 2004 | $4,800 | $5,688 | +18.50% |
| 31 Dec 2005 | $6,000 | $7,221 | +20.35% |
| 31 Dec 2006 | $7,200 | $9,681 | +34.46% |
| 31 Dec 2007 | $8,400 | $11,422 | +35.97% |
| 31 Dec 2008 | $9,600 | $8,090 | -15.73% |
| 31 Dec 2009 | $10,800 | $11,705 | +8.38% |
| 31 Dec 2010 | $12,000 | $14,828 | +23.56% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $13,200 | $16,341 | +23.80% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $14,400 | $20,221 | +40.42% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $15,600 | $28,161 | +80.52% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $16,800 | $33,316 | +98.31% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $18,000 | $34,987 | +94.37% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $19,200 | $40,472 | +110.79% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $20,400 | $50,643 | +148.25% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $21,600 | $49,528 | +129.29% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $22,800 | $66,488 | +191.62% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $24,000 | $80,173 | +234.06% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $25,200 | $104,562 | +314.93% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $26,400 | $86,751 | +228.60% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $27,600 | $110,917 | +301.87% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $28,800 | $140,000 | +386.11% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $30,000 | $166,374 | +454.58% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $31,000 | $189,337 | +510.77% |
Try a different start
Monthly $100 into S&P 500 (Total Return), by start year:
Does the start year really matter? Best and worst time to start DCA or DCA vs lump sum, tested on every start month.
Frequently asked questions
- How much would $100 every month in S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2001 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2001 (310 buys, $31,000 in total) would be worth $189,337 today (+510.77%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2001?
- Investing the same $31,000 in one go on 1 January 2001 would be worth $290,592 today (+837.39%), so putting it all in on day one came out ahead over this particular period. Which wins depends heavily on the start date.
- How long was S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA underwater since 2001?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 13.5% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 813 days (ending 1 Sept 2003).