Dollar Cost Averaging Calculator
Turn a monthly investment into a 5, 10 or 20-year wealth picture—and see what time can really do.
Build your DCA plan
Every input updates the projection instantly.
Show year-by-year values
| Show year-by-year values | DCA portfolio | Contributed capital | Lump sum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Now | $5,000 | $5,000 | $125,000 |
| Year 1 | $11,753 | $11,000 | $137,225 |
| Year 2 | $19,167 | $17,000 | $150,646 |
| Year 3 | $27,306 | $23,000 | $165,379 |
| Year 4 | $36,241 | $29,000 | $181,553 |
| Year 5 | $46,050 | $35,000 | $199,309 |
| Year 6 | $56,818 | $41,000 | $218,801 |
| Year 7 | $68,639 | $47,000 | $240,200 |
| Year 8 | $81,617 | $53,000 | $263,691 |
| Year 9 | $95,863 | $59,000 | $289,480 |
| Year 10 | $111,503 | $65,000 | $317,792 |
| Year 11 | $128,673 | $71,000 | $348,872 |
| Year 12 | $147,521 | $77,000 | $382,991 |
| Year 13 | $168,213 | $83,000 | $420,448 |
| Year 14 | $190,929 | $89,000 | $461,567 |
| Year 15 | $215,866 | $95,000 | $506,709 |
| Year 16 | $243,242 | $101,000 | $556,265 |
| Year 17 | $273,296 | $107,000 | $610,668 |
| Year 18 | $306,289 | $113,000 | $670,391 |
| Year 19 | $342,508 | $119,000 | $735,955 |
| Year 20 | $382,270 | $125,000 | $807,932 |
Explore several return assumptions to see how contribution discipline, fees and time reshape the outcome.
How does DCA turn consistency into growth?
Each month, the calculator adds your chosen contribution and applies the monthly rate equivalent to the effective annual return. The contributed-capital line shows what you put in; the gap to the portfolio line is investment growth.
Inflation-adjusted value divides the ending balance by cumulative price growth, expressing future wealth in today's purchasing power.
Reading the DCA and Lump Sum chart
- DCA: initial capital, monthly investments and accumulated growth.
- Contributed capital: the cash actually added over time.
- Lump Sum: all planned capital invested on day one, relevant only when that cash is genuinely available.
This comparison does not forecast market volatility. It isolates how long the money compounds under a constant-return model.
Source and practical use
Investor.gov defines DCA as investing equal portions at regular intervals regardless of market ups and downs.
Try three return levels, inspect fees and inflation, then choose a contribution you can sustain. A durable plan is more useful than an attractive scenario that cannot be maintained.
Frequently asked questions
What is dollar-cost averaging?
DCA means investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule regardless of whether markets are rising or falling. This calculator models monthly purchases.
How is the Lump Sum line calculated?
It assumes the initial investment plus every planned future contribution is already available on day one and invested immediately. It is an opportunity-cost comparison.
How are fees applied?
The effective return multiplies the growth factor by the share of assets left after fees: (1 + return) × (1 − fee) − 1.
Does beginning or end of month matter?
A beginning-of-month contribution receives one extra month of growth. Small periodic differences can compound over a long horizon.
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