OriginaveMonthly returns
Follow a $10,000 investment through the year — your balance at the end of every month, in dollars and percent.
VT
Which strategy won in 2026 so far?
Same $10,000 into VT, two ways: everything on day one (lump sum), or $833 at the start of every month (dollar-cost averaging).
Lump sum: $10,000 into VT on day one
You invest the whole $10,000 at the start of 2026. Follow your balance month after month — the last column shows how many days that month jumped or fell 1% or more. The current month is still running, so it is not shown yet.
| Month | Your balance | Change that month | Change in % | Big days (±1%+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $10,311 | +$311 | +3.11% | 2 |
| Feb | $10,481 | +$169 | +1.64% | 3 |
| Mar | $9,829 | −$652 | -6.22% | 11 |
| Apr | $10,744 | +$915 | +9.31% | 5 |
| May | $11,236 | +$492 | +4.58% | 5 |
| Jun | $11,193 | −$43 | -0.38% | 8 |
| Jul | $11,115 | −$78 | -0.69% | 6 |
| Aug | $11,450 | +$334 | +3.01% | 3 |
Dollar-cost averaging: $833 into VT every month
Instead of investing everything at once, you split the same $10,000 into 12 equal parts and invest $833 at the start of every month of 2026.
| Month | Paid in so far | Your balance | Change that month | Change in % | Big days (±1%+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $833 | $859 | +$26 | +3.11% | 2 |
| Feb | $1,667 | $1,720 | +$28 | +1.64% | 3 |
| Mar | $2,500 | $2,395 | −$159 | -6.22% | 11 |
| Apr | $3,333 | $3,529 | +$301 | +9.31% | 5 |
| May | $4,167 | $4,562 | +$200 | +4.58% | 5 |
| Jun | $5,000 | $5,375 | −$21 | -0.38% | 8 |
| Jul | $5,833 | $6,165 | −$43 | -0.69% | 6 |
| Aug | $6,667 | $7,209 | +$211 | +3.01% | 3 |
Wondering when during the year to invest? The seasonality breakdown shows the average return of every calendar month and whether the day of the month you buy on matters.