DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2009: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2009 (214 buys, $21,400 in total) would be worth $93,382 today (+336.36%).
Backtest 1 January 2009 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$93,382
+336.36% · +14.79%/yr
- Invested
- $21,400.00
- Buys
- 214
- Average cost
- $3,944.73
Lump sum, day one
Winner$253,525
+1084.70%
- Invested
- $21,400.00
- Bought at
- $1,452.98
- Max drawdown
- 33.79%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$336,396
+1471.94%
- 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 1.1% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 41 days (to 22 Mar 2009). The worst moment was 9 Mar 2009, when it was down 16.7% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 2 Apr 2009. The average cost per unit was $3,944.73 against a price today of $17,213.39 (+336.36%). 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 2009 | $1,200 | $1,474 | +22.81% |
| 31 Dec 2010 | $2,400 | $3,055 | +27.29% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $3,600 | $4,320 | +20.00% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $4,800 | $6,276 | +30.75% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $6,000 | $9,699 | +61.65% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $7,200 | $12,327 | +71.21% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $8,400 | $13,708 | +63.18% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $9,600 | $16,648 | +73.42% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $10,800 | $21,618 | +100.16% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $12,000 | $21,775 | +81.46% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $13,200 | $29,997 | +127.25% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $14,400 | $36,969 | +156.73% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $15,600 | $48,955 | +213.81% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $16,800 | $41,215 | +145.33% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $18,000 | $53,411 | +196.73% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $19,200 | $68,106 | +254.72% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $20,400 | $81,625 | +300.12% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $21,400 | $93,382 | +336.36% |
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 2009 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2009 (214 buys, $21,400 in total) would be worth $93,382 today (+336.36%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2009?
- Investing the same $21,400 in one go on 1 January 2009 would be worth $253,525 today (+1084.70%), 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 2009?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 1.1% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 41 days (ending 22 Mar 2009).