DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2010: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2010 (202 buys, $20,200 in total) would be worth $79,576 today (+293.94%).
Backtest 1 January 2010 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$79,576
+293.94% · +14.71%/yr
- Invested
- $20,200.00
- Buys
- 202
- Average cost
- $4,369.52
Lump sum, day one
Winner$189,230
+836.78%
- Invested
- $20,200.00
- Bought at
- $1,837.50
- Max drawdown
- 33.79%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$204,312
+911.45%
- Bought on
- 2 Jul 2010
- At a price of
- $1,701.86
- 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 2.7% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 69 days (to 25 Jul 2010). The worst moment was 30 Jun 2010, when it was down 7.8% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 28 Nov 2011. The average cost per unit was $4,369.52 against a price today of $17,213.39 (+293.94%). The cheapest buy was $1,709.77 on 1 Jul 2010 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2010 | $1,200 | $1,359 | +13.28% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $2,400 | $2,588 | +7.85% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $3,600 | $4,267 | +18.53% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $4,800 | $7,040 | +46.67% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $6,000 | $9,304 | +55.06% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $7,200 | $10,643 | +47.81% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $8,400 | $13,216 | +57.34% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $9,600 | $17,437 | +81.64% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $10,800 | $17,778 | +64.61% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $12,000 | $24,741 | +106.18% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $13,200 | $30,745 | +132.92% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $14,400 | $40,945 | +184.34% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $15,600 | $34,656 | +122.16% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $16,800 | $45,128 | +168.62% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $18,000 | $57,750 | +220.83% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $19,200 | $69,418 | +261.55% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $20,200 | $79,576 | +293.94% |
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 2010 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2010 (202 buys, $20,200 in total) would be worth $79,576 today (+293.94%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2010?
- Investing the same $20,200 in one go on 1 January 2010 would be worth $189,230 today (+836.78%), 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 2010?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 2.7% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 69 days (ending 25 Jul 2010).