DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2008: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2008 (226 buys, $22,600 in total) would be worth $104,038 today (+360.35%).
Backtest 1 January 2008 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$104,038
+360.35% · +14.42%/yr
- Invested
- $22,600.00
- Buys
- 226
- Average cost
- $3,741.40
Lump sum, day one
Winner$168,781
+646.82%
- Invested
- $22,600.00
- Bought at
- $2,306.23
- Max drawdown
- 52.52%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$355,465
+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 8.5% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 460 days (to 8 Sept 2009). The worst moment was 20 Nov 2008, when it was down 40.9% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 7 Jul 2010. The average cost per unit was $3,741.40 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+360.35%). 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 2008 | $1,200 | $894 | -25.47% |
| 31 Dec 2009 | $2,400 | $2,605 | +8.53% |
| 31 Dec 2010 | $3,600 | $4,357 | +21.02% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $4,800 | $5,649 | +17.68% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $6,000 | $7,817 | +30.29% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $7,200 | $11,740 | +63.06% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $8,400 | $14,647 | +74.37% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $9,600 | $16,060 | +67.29% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $10,800 | $19,282 | +78.53% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $12,000 | $24,827 | +106.89% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $13,200 | $24,843 | +88.21% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $14,400 | $34,031 | +136.33% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $15,600 | $41,745 | +167.60% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $16,800 | $55,103 | +227.99% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $18,000 | $46,249 | +156.94% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $19,200 | $59,769 | +211.29% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $20,400 | $76,054 | +272.81% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $21,600 | $90,995 | +321.27% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $22,600 | $104,038 | +360.35% |
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 2008 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2008 (226 buys, $22,600 in total) would be worth $104,038 today (+360.35%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2008?
- Investing the same $22,600 in one go on 1 January 2008 would be worth $168,781 today (+646.82%), 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 2008?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 8.5% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 460 days (ending 8 Sept 2009).