DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2002: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2002 (298 buys, $29,800 in total) would be worth $177,011 today (+494.00%).
Backtest 1 January 2002 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$177,011
+494.00% · +12.39%/yr
- Invested
- $29,800.00
- Buys
- 298
- Average cost
- $2,899.58
Lump sum, day one
Winner$317,025
+963.84%
- Invested
- $29,800.00
- Bought at
- $1,618.98
- Max drawdown
- 55.25%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$468,710
+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 9% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 419 days (to 26 May 2003). The worst moment was 9 Mar 2009, when it was down 36.1% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 6 Jul 2010. The average cost per unit was $2,899.58 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+494.00%). 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 2002 | $1,200 | $1,064 | -11.31% |
| 31 Dec 2003 | $2,400 | $2,795 | +16.45% |
| 31 Dec 2004 | $3,600 | $4,400 | +22.22% |
| 31 Dec 2005 | $4,800 | $5,870 | +22.29% |
| 31 Dec 2006 | $6,000 | $8,116 | +35.27% |
| 31 Dec 2007 | $7,200 | $9,771 | +35.71% |
| 31 Dec 2008 | $8,400 | $7,050 | -16.07% |
| 31 Dec 2009 | $9,600 | $10,390 | +8.23% |
| 31 Dec 2010 | $10,800 | $13,314 | +23.28% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $12,000 | $14,796 | +23.30% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $13,200 | $18,428 | +39.61% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $14,400 | $25,788 | +79.08% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $15,600 | $30,618 | +96.27% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $16,800 | $32,251 | +91.97% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $18,000 | $37,410 | +107.83% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $19,200 | $46,912 | +144.33% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $20,400 | $45,961 | +125.30% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $21,600 | $61,798 | +186.10% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $22,800 | $74,620 | +227.28% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $24,000 | $97,415 | +305.89% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $25,200 | $80,898 | +221.03% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $26,400 | $103,526 | +292.14% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $27,600 | $130,759 | +373.76% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $28,800 | $155,481 | +439.87% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $29,800 | $177,011 | +494.00% |
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 2002 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2002 (298 buys, $29,800 in total) would be worth $177,011 today (+494.00%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2002?
- Investing the same $29,800 in one go on 1 January 2002 would be worth $317,025 today (+963.84%), 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 2002?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 9% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 419 days (ending 26 May 2003).