DCA history · S&P 500
S&P 500 DCA since 2010: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2010 (203 buys, $20,300 in total) would be worth $65,397 today (+222.15%).
Backtest 1 January 2010 to 11 November 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$65,397
+222.15% · +12.64%/yr
- Invested
- $20,300.00
- Buys
- 203
- Average cost
- $2,367.03
Lump sum, day one
Winner$138,819
+583.84%
- Invested
- $20,300.00
- Bought at
- $1,115.10
- Max drawdown
- 33.92%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$151,379
+645.71%
- Bought on
- 2 Jul 2010
- At a price of
- $1,022.58
- 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 3.1% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 69 days (to 25 Jul 2010). The worst moment was 30 Jun 2010, when it was down 8.3% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 28 Nov 2011. The average cost per unit was $2,367.03 against a price today of $7,625.46 (+222.15%). The cheapest buy was $1,027.37 on 1 Jul 2010 and the priciest $7,666.45 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2010 | $1,200 | $1,344 | +12.03% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $2,400 | $2,530 | +5.44% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $3,600 | $4,118 | +14.39% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $4,800 | $6,711 | +39.82% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $6,000 | $8,761 | +46.02% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $7,200 | $9,893 | +37.41% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $8,400 | $12,122 | +44.31% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $9,600 | $15,797 | +64.55% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $10,800 | $15,904 | +47.26% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $12,000 | $21,848 | +82.07% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $13,200 | $26,838 | +103.32% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $14,400 | $35,420 | +145.97% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $15,600 | $29,649 | +90.06% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $16,800 | $38,182 | +127.28% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $18,000 | $48,404 | +168.91% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $19,200 | $57,669 | +200.36% |
| 11 Nov 2026 | $20,300 | $65,397 | +222.15% |
Try a different start
Monthly $100 into S&P 500, 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 since 2010 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2010 (203 buys, $20,300 in total) would be worth $65,397 today (+222.15%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 since 2010?
- Investing the same $20,300 in one go on 1 January 2010 would be worth $138,819 today (+583.84%), 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 DCA underwater since 2010?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 3.1% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 69 days (ending 25 Jul 2010).