Dollar-Cost Averaging Calculator

How to use this calculator

Enter monthly investment, annual return assumption, years, and optional starting investment. The tool compounds monthly contributions and shows estimated ending value.

When this calculator is useful

• Recurring brokerage or retirement contributions
• Comparing monthly contribution levels
• Explaining systematic investing

Important limitations

Dollar-cost averaging does not remove market risk. Actual returns vary and may be negative for long periods.

For best results, run at least three cases: a conservative case, a middle case, and a stretch case. If a small change in inputs creates a big change in the answer, that is a sign the decision may be sensitive to rates, fees, timing, or market performance.