Dollar-Cost Averaging Calculator

Contribution per period ($)

How often

Number of contributions≈ 10.0 years

Average annual return (%)

Inflation (%) — optional

Final value after 10 years

$91,473

You invest $60,000, the market adds $31,473 — an equivalent CAGR of 8.30%.

Total contributed

$60,000

66% of the final balance

Market growth

$31,473

34% of the final balance

Had you lump-summed at month 0

DCA result

$91,473

Lump-sum result

$133,178

Lump-sum ahead by

$41,705

Lump-sum wins when returns are positive — your earlier dollars compound longer. The catch: most people don't have the full sum on day one, and lump-summing into a bad year hurts. DCA trades a bit of return for steadier behavior.