Financial advisors constantly preach the gospel of "starting early." But what concrete difference can a mere 10 years make? To answer this, we used our DCA calculator to run a classic dollar-cost averaging scenario: two investors, same asset, same monthly contribution, just a 10-year difference in their start date.

The interactive result below shows an investor who began putting $100 a month into an S&P 500 ETF in 1994. Use the toggle to see the dramatic difference compared to someone who waited until 2004 to start.

The Results: A Costly Decade of Delay

The data paints a powerful picture of the price of procrastination. Let's break down the numbers:

Started in 1994 (30 Years): With a total investment of $36,100, the portfolio grew to approximately $191,887.
Started in 2004 (20 Years): With a total investment of $24,100, the portfolio grew to approximately $84,147.

Think about that: by investing just $12,000 more over an extra decade, the early investor's portfolio ended up more than double the size—an astounding $107,740 difference in final value. That first decade, where compound growth had the longest time to work its magic, was responsible for the vast majority of the gains.

Conclusion: The Best Time to Plant a Tree Was 20 Years Ago

This simple backtest provides undeniable proof: the single most powerful ally an investor has is time. The second-best day to start your dollar-cost averaging journey is today.

Find out what your own timeline could look like. Try the calculator →