DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2011: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2011 (190 buys, $19,000 in total) would be worth $68,549 today (+260.78%).
Backtest 1 January 2011 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$68,549
+260.78% · +14.75%/yr
- Invested
- $19,000.00
- Buys
- 190
- Average cost
- $4,773.88
Lump sum, day one
Winner$154,777
+714.62%
- Invested
- $19,000.00
- Bought at
- $2,114.29
- Max drawdown
- 33.79%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$174,442
+818.11%
- Bought on
- 3 Oct 2011
- At a price of
- $1,875.95
- 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 3% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 92 days (to 26 Oct 2011). The worst moment was 8 Aug 2011, when it was down 14.2% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 29 Dec 2011. The average cost per unit was $4,773.88 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+260.78%). The cheapest buy was $1,930.79 on 1 Oct 2011 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2011 | $1,200 | $1,200 | +0.02% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $2,400 | $2,657 | +10.71% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $3,600 | $4,908 | +36.34% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $4,800 | $6,880 | +43.34% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $6,000 | $8,185 | +36.42% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $7,200 | $10,465 | +45.35% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $8,400 | $14,086 | +67.69% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $9,600 | $14,573 | +51.80% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $10,800 | $20,528 | +90.07% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $12,000 | $25,757 | +114.64% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $13,200 | $34,525 | +161.55% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $14,400 | $29,398 | +104.16% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $15,600 | $38,488 | +146.72% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $16,800 | $49,449 | +194.34% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $18,000 | $59,632 | +231.29% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $19,000 | $68,549 | +260.78% |
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 2011 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2011 (190 buys, $19,000 in total) would be worth $68,549 today (+260.78%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2011?
- Investing the same $19,000 in one go on 1 January 2011 would be worth $154,777 today (+714.62%), 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 2011?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 3% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 92 days (ending 26 Oct 2011).