DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2014: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2014 (154 buys, $15,400 in total) would be worth $43,052 today (+179.56%).
Backtest 1 January 2014 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$43,052
+179.56% · +14.97%/yr
- Invested
- $15,400.00
- Buys
- 154
- Average cost
- $6,160.96
Lump sum, day one
Winner$79,998
+419.47%
- Invested
- $15,400.00
- Bought at
- $3,315.59
- Max drawdown
- 33.79%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$84,799
+450.64%
- Bought on
- 3 Feb 2014
- At a price of
- $3,127.87
- 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 2.4% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 46 days (to 21 Feb 2016). The worst moment was 11 Feb 2016, when it was down 5.7% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 1 Mar 2016. The average cost per unit was $6,160.96 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+179.56%). The cheapest buy was $3,200.95 on 1 Feb 2014 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2014 | $1,200 | $1,300 | +8.34% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $2,400 | $2,528 | +5.33% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $3,600 | $4,131 | +14.76% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $4,800 | $6,369 | +32.68% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $6,000 | $7,195 | +19.91% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $7,200 | $10,826 | +50.36% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $8,400 | $14,270 | +69.88% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $9,600 | $19,740 | +105.63% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $10,800 | $17,292 | +60.11% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $12,000 | $23,199 | +93.32% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $13,200 | $30,334 | +129.80% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $14,400 | $37,100 | +157.64% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $15,400 | $43,052 | +179.56% |
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 2014 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2014 (154 buys, $15,400 in total) would be worth $43,052 today (+179.56%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2014?
- Investing the same $15,400 in one go on 1 January 2014 would be worth $79,998 today (+419.47%), 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 2014?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 2.4% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 46 days (ending 21 Feb 2016).