Investment calculator
Compare investing your capital immediately with gradually investing it over time. This first version uses a constant-return projection model, not historical market data.
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Both strategies use the same starting capital, horizon and assumed market return. Lump sum invests everything immediately. DCA moves an equal share of the original capital into the investment at the start of each month; undeployed cash earns the cash return entered above. On the final DCA month, all remaining cash is invested. The annual fund fee is applied to both strategies.
Constant-return projections are simplified examples, not forecasts. Historical mode will be added separately using documented market data and clearly stated methodology.
Calculation method
The expected annual return is treated as a gross total-return assumption. The annual fund fee reduces that annual growth factor, and the resulting net annual factor is converted to an equivalent monthly rate for the simulation.
(1 + expected return) × (1 − annual fee)
net annual factor^(1/12) − 1
Full capital invested at the start
Equal monthly transfers; final scheduled month invests remaining cash
Lump sum investing
Lump sum investing means putting the full amount of available capital into the investment at the start. In this calculator, the entire starting balance begins compounding immediately using the return and fee assumptions you enter.
Dollar-cost averaging
Dollar-cost averaging, or DCA, spreads the same starting capital across a chosen number of monthly investments. Until each scheduled investment is made, the undeployed balance remains in cash and earns the cash return entered in the calculator.
How to read the result
Both strategies use the same starting capital, investment horizon, assumed market return and annual fund fee. The main difference is when the money enters the investment.
Projection mode
The current calculator uses a constant annual-return assumption converted into monthly compounding. It is useful for understanding the mechanics of investment timing, but real markets do not produce a constant return every month.
A separate historical mode will compare the two strategies against documented market-price data so the distinction between hypothetical projections and actual past market paths remains clear.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The projection uses the same return and fee assumptions for the invested portion of both strategies so the timing difference is easier to isolate.
It remains in the calculator's cash balance and compounds at the cash-return assumption you choose until it is transferred into the investment.
In projection mode there is no separate dividend stream. The expected annual return is treated as a total-return assumption before the fund-fee adjustment.
A longer DCA period changes how long part of the capital remains outside the investment, which changes both market exposure and the amount of time the waiting cash can earn its cash return.
Yes. The calculator stores the current inputs in the URL. The Copy share link button creates a link that reopens the same scenario while the canonical SEO URL remains the clean calculator page.