DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2021: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2021 (70 buys, $7,000 in total) would be worth $11,371 today (+62.44%).
Backtest 1 January 2021 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$11,371
+62.44% · +16.64%/yr
- Invested
- $7,000.00
- Buys
- 70
- Average cost
- $10,596.91
Lump sum, day one
Winner$15,529
+121.84%
- Invested
- $7,000.00
- Bought at
- $7,759.35
- Max drawdown
- 24.49%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$15,878
+126.82%
- Bought on
- 12 Oct 2022
- At a price of
- $7,588.90
- 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 15% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 159 days (to 31 Jan 2023). The worst moment was 30 Sept 2022, when it was down 13.7% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 27 Apr 2023. The average cost per unit was $10,596.91 against a price today of $17,213.39 (+62.44%). The cheapest buy was $7,603.14 on 1 Oct 2022 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2021 | $1,200 | $1,375 | +14.54% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $2,400 | $2,252 | -6.16% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $3,600 | $4,205 | +16.81% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $4,800 | $6,589 | +37.27% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $6,000 | $9,109 | +51.82% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $7,000 | $11,371 | +62.44% |
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 2021 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2021 (70 buys, $7,000 in total) would be worth $11,371 today (+62.44%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2021?
- Investing the same $7,000 in one go on 1 January 2021 would be worth $15,529 today (+121.84%), 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 2021?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 15% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 159 days (ending 31 Jan 2023).