DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2005: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2005 (262 buys, $26,200 in total) would be worth $134,900 today (+414.89%).
Backtest 1 January 2005 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$134,900
+414.89% · +13.15%/yr
- Invested
- $26,200.00
- Buys
- 262
- Average cost
- $3,345.08
Lump sum, day one
Winner$250,758
+857.09%
- Invested
- $26,200.00
- Bought at
- $1,799.55
- Max drawdown
- 55.25%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$412,088
+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 10.1% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 489 days (to 4 Jan 2010). The worst moment was 9 Mar 2009, when it was down 43.4% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 4 Oct 2011. The average cost per unit was $3,345.08 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+414.89%). 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 2005 | $1,200 | $1,254 | +4.49% |
| 31 Dec 2006 | $2,400 | $2,771 | +15.47% |
| 31 Dec 2007 | $3,600 | $4,132 | +14.79% |
| 31 Dec 2008 | $4,800 | $3,498 | -27.13% |
| 31 Dec 2009 | $6,000 | $5,897 | -1.71% |
| 31 Dec 2010 | $7,200 | $8,145 | +13.13% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $8,400 | $9,517 | +13.30% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $9,600 | $12,305 | +28.18% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $10,800 | $17,681 | +63.72% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $12,000 | $21,402 | +78.35% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $13,200 | $22,908 | +73.54% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $14,400 | $26,949 | +87.14% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $15,600 | $34,167 | +119.02% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $16,800 | $33,774 | +101.04% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $18,000 | $45,775 | +154.30% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $19,200 | $55,649 | +189.84% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $20,400 | $72,997 | +257.83% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $21,600 | $60,903 | +181.96% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $22,800 | $78,275 | +243.31% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $24,000 | $99,190 | +313.29% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $25,200 | $118,268 | +369.32% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $26,200 | $134,900 | +414.89% |
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 2005 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2005 (262 buys, $26,200 in total) would be worth $134,900 today (+414.89%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2005?
- Investing the same $26,200 in one go on 1 January 2005 would be worth $250,758 today (+857.09%), 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 2005?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 10.1% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 489 days (ending 4 Jan 2010).