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If you invested $500 per month into VOO starting in January 2016, you'd have put in $60,000 over 10 years. By January 2026, that portfolio was worth over $115,000. You didn't need to pick stocks. You didn't need to time the market. You just kept buying.
Dollar cost averaging into index funds is the most reliable way to build wealth for people who don't want to spend their weekends reading earnings reports. And with our free DCA calculator, you can model your own scenario in seconds.
Three ETFs dominate the DCA conversation:
All three have returned roughly 10–11% annually over the past 30 years. That's before inflation, but after fees. The returns are remarkably consistent when measured across any 20-year window in market history.
That consistency is what makes DCA work. You're not betting on one company. You're betting that the U.S. economy grows over time. It always has.
Model your VOO, VTI, or SPY DCA strategy — see projected growth over 5, 10, or 20 years
Open the Free DCA Calculator →Every major brokerage now supports automatic recurring investments. Here's how:
Fidelity: Go to your account → "Automatic Investments" → choose the ETF, amount, and frequency. Fidelity supports fractional shares, so you can invest exact dollar amounts like $200/week into VOO.
Schwab: Use "Schwab Automatic Investing" in your brokerage account. Select the ETF, set your amount and schedule. Schwab also supports fractional shares through "Schwab Stock Slices."
Vanguard: Go to "Transact" → "Automatic Investment" → select your ETF and schedule. Vanguard's auto-invest works best with their own funds (VOO, VTI). Fractional share support was added in 2023.
Setup takes under five minutes at any of these. Once it's running, your only job is to not turn it off when the market dips.
Let's run a scenario. You invest $300 per month into VOO and assume a 10% average annual return:
That's the power of compound growth. Your returns start earning returns. The longer you hold, the faster it grows.
Want to see what different amounts and timeframes look like? Our DCA calculator lets you adjust every variable.
The honest answer: barely. Over the past 20 years, VTI and VOO have performed within 0.1–0.3% of each other annually. VTI includes about 4,000 stocks compared to VOO's 500, giving you exposure to smaller companies. But the S&P 500 makes up about 80% of VTI's weight anyway.
Pick one and stick with it. The difference between VOO and VTI is negligible compared to the difference between investing consistently and not investing at all.
How much would I have if I DCA'd $500/month into VOO for 10 years?
At VOO's historical average return of about 10.5% per year, investing $500/month for 10 years ($60,000 total) would grow to roughly $103,000. That's about $43,000 in gains from compound growth alone.
Is it better to DCA into VOO or VTI?
Both are excellent choices. VOO tracks the S&P 500 (large-cap stocks). VTI tracks the total U.S. stock market, including mid-cap and small-cap. Performance is nearly identical over long periods. VTI gives slightly more diversification. Either works great for DCA.
Can I DCA with fractional shares?
Yes. Fidelity, Schwab, and most major brokerages now support fractional shares. This means you can invest exact dollar amounts like $100 or $250 per week into VOO or SPY without needing to buy a full share.
Run your own stock and ETF DCA projections — completely free
Try the DCA Calculator Now →If you're also tracking your total financial picture, check out our net worth calculator and budget calculator to see how your investments fit into the bigger picture.