Worst-timing investor
Follow an investor who only ever bought at market peaks, and see where they ended up decades later.
Market data through Sep 2026, updated monthly. How we calculateThe worst-timed investor still ends with
They put $1,200 in every year from 1990 to 2025, always at that year's highest month. Total put in: $43,200. They still have 10.9× their money. Perfect timing would have $559,945; plain monthly buying $508,982.
Timing is judged on monthly average prices, so true daily peaks and lows were a little more extreme. S&P 500 monthly average prices, dividends reinvested (recent months use the last reported dividend, Jun 2023). Data through Sep 2026. One buy per month at that month's average price; no fees or taxes. Past returns do not predict future returns.
How this calculator works
Three investors save the same amount each year. The worst-timed one invests it all at that year's most expensive month. The perfect one invests at the cheapest month. The third buys every month.
It shows how little timing matters over long periods compared with simply staying invested.
Common questions
Did the worst-timed investor still make money?
Over long periods, yes. Staying invested and reinvesting dividends mattered far more than entry points.
How does monthly buying compare?
It usually lands close to perfect timing, with no forecasting needed.
Why monthly averages?
They are the longest free record. True daily peaks and lows would make the gap a little wider.
FatDCA calculators are educational estimates, not investment, tax or legal advice. Results depend on the assumptions you enter, and past returns do not predict future returns.
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