DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2012: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2012 (178 buys, $17,800 in total) would be worth $58,974 today (+231.31%).
Backtest 1 January 2012 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$58,974
+231.31% · +14.83%/yr
- Invested
- $17,800.00
- Buys
- 178
- Average cost
- $5,198.51
Lump sum, day one
Winner$142,003
+697.77%
- Invested
- $17,800.00
- Bought at
- $2,158.94
- Max drawdown
- 33.79%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$142,003
+697.77%
- Bought on
- 1 Jan 2012
- At a price of
- $2,158.94
- 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 0.7% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 32 days (to 14 Jun 2012). The worst moment was 1 Jun 2012, when it was down 4.1% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 29 Jun 2012. The average cost per unit was $5,198.51 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+231.31%). The cheapest buy was $2,158.94 on 1 Jan 2012 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2012 | $1,200 | $1,265 | +5.39% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $2,400 | $3,065 | +27.71% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $3,600 | $4,785 | +32.91% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $4,800 | $6,061 | +26.27% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $6,000 | $8,087 | +34.78% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $7,200 | $11,188 | +55.38% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $8,400 | $11,802 | +40.50% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $9,600 | $16,884 | +75.88% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $10,800 | $21,443 | +98.54% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $12,000 | $28,973 | +141.44% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $13,200 | $24,852 | +88.27% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $14,400 | $32,746 | +127.40% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $15,600 | $42,270 | +170.96% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $16,800 | $51,171 | +204.59% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $17,800 | $58,974 | +231.31% |
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 2012 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2012 (178 buys, $17,800 in total) would be worth $58,974 today (+231.31%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2012?
- Investing the same $17,800 in one go on 1 January 2012 would be worth $142,003 today (+697.77%), 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 2012?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 0.7% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 32 days (ending 14 Jun 2012).