Total Market DCA Calculator
$100 a month in Total Market (VTI) for the last 5 years would be worth $9,295 today, from $6,000 invested: a 17.5% annual return.
The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF holds nearly every publicly traded U.S. company, from the largest to the smallest, in one low-cost fund. It is one of the most popular choices for automatic monthly investing because a single purchase buys the whole U.S. market.
Run your own Total Market scenario
Change the monthly amount and dates. You can also switch to another asset, or type any ticker Yahoo Finance supports.
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$100 a month in Total Market: results by holding period
Each row invests $100 at the start of every month up to Oct 2026, and compares it with investing the same total all at once at the start. Dividends are reinvested (total return).
| Period | Invested | Value today | Annual return | Lump sum instead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year (from Nov 2025) | $1,200 | $1,301 | 15.9% | $1,369 |
| 3 years (from Nov 2023) | $3,600 | $4,730 | 18.5% | $6,842 |
| 5 years (from Nov 2021) | $6,000 | $9,295 | 17.5% | $10,269 |
| 10 years (from Nov 2016) | $12,000 | $26,450 | 15.1% | $48,875 |
| 20 years (from Nov 2006) | $24,000 | $109,988 | 13.5% | $190,891 |
Annual return is the money-weighted return (IRR) of the monthly contributions. Prices are monthly closes from Yahoo Finance, with data from Jul 2001 through Oct 2026. See the methodology. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Total Market DCA: frequently asked questions
How much would $100 a month in Total Market be worth today?
Investing $100 a month in Total Market (VTI) for the last 5 years (Nov 2021 to Oct 2026) would have turned $6,000 into about $9,295, a money-weighted annual return of 17.5%. Dividends are reinvested (total return). Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Was DCA or a lump sum better for Total Market?
Over the last 20 years, investing the same $24,000 all at once in Nov 2006 would have grown to $190,891, compared with $109,988 by investing $100 a month. The lump sum came out ahead because it was invested for longer, which is the usual result in a rising market. Most people invest from monthly income, so DCA is the practical choice either way.
What was the best and worst time to start DCA in Total Market?
Across 245 rolling 5-year periods of investing $100 a month, the best started in Sep 2016 and returned 20.9% a year; the worst started in Mar 2004 and returned −17.9% a year. 91% of those periods ended with more money than was put in.
How far has Total Market fallen from a peak?
The largest fall in its month-end total-return price since Jul 2001 was −51%, from Oct 2007 to Feb 2009. Buying a fixed amount every month through a fall like that buys more shares at lower prices.