Schwab US Dividend ETF (SCHD) DCA Calculator
What a fixed monthly buy of Schwab US Dividend ETF actually did — computed from real daily closes (Oct 2011 → Jul 2026), not projections. Run your own amount and schedule below.
What $100 a month actually built
The last 10 years of a $100 monthly plan in SCHD, month by month: the flat line is cash paid in ($12,100 total), the accent line is what the position was worth along the way — ending at $23,583. Every point is computed from that day's real close.
Timing luck, quantified
Same plan, different start month. Each bar below is one possible 5-year monthly DCA window in SCHD's history, sorted from worst to best — the honest spread between unlucky and lucky timing, and the case for starting on a schedule instead of waiting:
118 possible 5-year start months — 100% ended positive.
Why dollar-cost average into SCHD?
SCHD is the un-dramatic entry in this series: a fund of ~100 US dividend-growth stocks screened for balance-sheet quality, with 14+ years of history and drawdowns that look shallow next to anything crypto. Monthly DCA fits it naturally — the strategy most SCHD investors actually run is an automated buy on payday, and the chart above shows what that discipline compounded into. Our data uses adjusted closes, so reinvested distributions are reflected in the curve.
The honest caveat is the mirror image: assets this steady give DCA less to work with. When the spread between best and worst start windows is modest, lump-sum entries and scheduled entries land closer together — the schedule's value here is mostly behavioural, turning investing into a habit rather than rescuing you from a −90% entry.
FAQ
History, not opinion: $100 every month into SCHD for the last 10 years (121 buys, $12,100 invested) would be worth $23,583 today — +95% before fees and taxes. Past performance doesn't predict the future, but that's what the plan actually produced.
The worst 5-year monthly-DCA start in SCHD's history began Apr 2015 and finished at +4%. The best (Jun 2016) finished at +66%. DCA doesn't delete timing luck — it narrows it and removes the decision.
A lump sum bets everything on one entry price. Monthly DCA spreads your cost across SCHD's ups and downs — you buy more units when it's cheap, fewer when it's expensive. Compare both directly in our lump sum vs DCA calculator.
Real SCHD daily closing prices from Oct 2011 to Jul 2026 (14.8 years), refreshed weekly and validated for gaps, zeros and staleness — see the data & methodology page. Fees, spreads and taxes are not modelled.
Run the plan on a real exchange
Five exchanges where DCA — and tokenized stocks & ETFs — actually work, each with a real discount. Pick one, copy the code, trade cheaper.
Referral links support the site and never affect the math. Availability varies by country — check your local regulations.