DCA history · S&P 500
S&P 500 DCA since 2021: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2021 (70 buys, $7,000 in total) would be worth $10,880 today (+55.43%).
Backtest 1 January 2021 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$10,880
+55.43% · +15.12%/yr
- Invested
- $7,000.00
- Buys
- 70
- Average cost
- $4,937.76
Lump sum, day one
Winner$14,303
+104.33%
- Invested
- $7,000.00
- Bought at
- $3,756.07
- Max drawdown
- 25.43%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$15,019
+114.56%
- Bought on
- 12 Oct 2022
- At a price of
- $3,577.03
- 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 18% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 164 days (to 1 Feb 2023). The worst moment was 30 Sept 2022, when it was down 14.9% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 31 Oct 2023. The average cost per unit was $4,937.76 against a price today of $7,674.76 (+55.43%). The cheapest buy was $3,585.62 on 1 Oct 2022 and the priciest $7,666.45 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2021 | $1,200 | $1,364 | +13.65% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $2,400 | $2,215 | -7.71% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $3,600 | $4,101 | +13.90% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $4,800 | $6,378 | +32.87% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $6,000 | $8,756 | +45.93% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $7,000 | $10,880 | +55.43% |
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 2021 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2021 (70 buys, $7,000 in total) would be worth $10,880 today (+55.43%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 since 2021?
- Investing the same $7,000 in one go on 1 January 2021 would be worth $14,303 today (+104.33%), 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 2021?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 18% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 164 days (ending 1 Feb 2023).