DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2018: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2018 (106 buys, $10,600 in total) would be worth $22,009 today (+107.63%).
Backtest 1 January 2018 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$22,009
+107.63% · +16.03%/yr
- Invested
- $10,600.00
- Buys
- 106
- Average cost
- $8,295.10
Lump sum, day one
Winner$35,023
+230.41%
- Invested
- $10,600.00
- Bought at
- $5,212.76
- Max drawdown
- 33.79%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$40,041
+277.75%
- Bought on
- 23 Mar 2020
- At a price of
- $4,559.50
- 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 5.7% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 58 days (to 30 Jan 2019). The worst moment was 23 Mar 2020, when it was down 19.4% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 22 Apr 2020. The average cost per unit was $8,295.10 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+107.63%). The cheapest buy was $4,984.22 on 1 Jan 2019 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2018 | $1,200 | $1,105 | -7.91% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $2,400 | $2,819 | +17.46% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $3,600 | $4,790 | +33.05% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $4,800 | $7,539 | +57.07% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $6,000 | $7,300 | +21.67% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $7,200 | $10,581 | +46.95% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $8,400 | $14,559 | +73.32% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $9,600 | $18,505 | +92.76% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $10,600 | $22,009 | +107.63% |
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 2018 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2018 (106 buys, $10,600 in total) would be worth $22,009 today (+107.63%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2018?
- Investing the same $10,600 in one go on 1 January 2018 would be worth $35,023 today (+230.41%), 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 2018?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 5.7% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 58 days (ending 30 Jan 2019).