DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2004: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2004 (274 buys, $27,400 in total) would be worth $147,352 today (+437.78%).
Backtest 1 January 2004 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$147,352
+437.78% · +12.85%/yr
- Invested
- $27,400.00
- Buys
- 274
- Average cost
- $3,202.68
Lump sum, day one
Winner$290,781
+961.25%
- Invested
- $27,400.00
- Bought at
- $1,622.94
- Max drawdown
- 55.25%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$430,962
+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 8.7% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 448 days (to 13 Dec 2009). The worst moment was 9 Mar 2009, when it was down 41.6% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 8 Sept 2010. The average cost per unit was $3,202.68 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+437.78%). 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 2004 | $1,200 | $1,301 | +8.41% |
| 31 Dec 2005 | $2,400 | $2,619 | +9.11% |
| 31 Dec 2006 | $3,600 | $4,352 | +20.88% |
| 31 Dec 2007 | $4,800 | $5,800 | +20.83% |
| 31 Dec 2008 | $6,000 | $4,548 | -24.19% |
| 31 Dec 2009 | $7,200 | $7,226 | +0.36% |
| 31 Dec 2010 | $8,400 | $9,674 | +15.16% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $9,600 | $11,078 | +15.40% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $10,800 | $14,116 | +30.70% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $12,000 | $20,078 | +67.32% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $13,200 | $24,127 | +82.78% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $14,400 | $25,671 | +78.27% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $15,600 | $30,042 | +92.58% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $16,800 | $37,936 | +125.81% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $18,000 | $37,378 | +107.65% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $19,200 | $50,512 | +163.09% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $20,400 | $61,258 | +200.29% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $21,600 | $80,217 | +271.38% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $22,800 | $66,816 | +193.05% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $24,000 | $85,741 | +257.25% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $25,200 | $108,525 | +330.65% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $26,400 | $129,271 | +389.66% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $27,400 | $147,352 | +437.78% |
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 2004 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2004 (274 buys, $27,400 in total) would be worth $147,352 today (+437.78%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2004?
- Investing the same $27,400 in one go on 1 January 2004 would be worth $290,781 today (+961.25%), 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 2004?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 8.7% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 448 days (ending 13 Dec 2009).