OriginaveMonthly returns
Follow a $10,000 investment through the year — your balance at the end of every month, in dollars and percent.
VTI
Which strategy won in 2026 so far?
Same $10,000 into VTI, two ways: everything on day one (lump sum), or $833 at the start of every month (dollar-cost averaging).
Lump sum: $10,000 into VTI 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 | $10,158 | +$158 | +1.58% | 2 |
| Feb | $10,104 | −$54 | -0.53% | 4 |
| Mar | $9,599 | −$506 | -5.00% | 9 |
| Apr | $10,597 | +$998 | +10.40% | 5 |
| May | $11,146 | +$549 | +5.18% | 3 |
| Jun | $11,104 | −$43 | -0.39% | 8 |
| Jul | $11,049 | −$55 | -0.49% | 3 |
| Aug | $11,347 | +$298 | +2.70% | 2 |
Dollar-cost averaging: $833 into VTI 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 | $847 | +$13 | +1.58% | 2 |
| Feb | $1,667 | $1,671 | −$9 | -0.53% | 4 |
| Mar | $2,500 | $2,379 | −$125 | -5.00% | 9 |
| Apr | $3,333 | $3,546 | +$334 | +10.40% | 5 |
| May | $4,167 | $4,607 | +$227 | +5.18% | 3 |
| Jun | $5,000 | $5,419 | −$21 | -0.39% | 8 |
| Jul | $5,833 | $6,222 | −$31 | -0.49% | 3 |
| Aug | $6,667 | $7,245 | +$190 | +2.70% | 2 |
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.