What if?

  1. The question

    What if I waited until 2022?

    $500/week into the S&P 500 starting in 2022 versus the same habit from 2015. Time in the market on real weekly data — not ages 18 vs 35.

  2. Assumptions

    What this page actually assumes

    • We do not have a lifetime from age 18. “Waited” means started in 2022 instead of 2015.
    • $500/week, S&P 500, held through the last Friday.
    • 2022 is a hostile start (bear market). That is intentional.
    • The 2015 comparison keeps the same weekly dollar amount, so it also contributed through 2022 — it just had a seven-year head start.

  3. Historical data

    2022-01-07 → 2026-08-28

    2022–present is a short sample. 2015–present is the full published window. Both are the same index, not a 7% illustration.

    Series: S&P 500 and S&P 500. Same contribution calendar. No data before 2015.

  4. Interactive simulation

    Change the habit, stay on the real curve

    Amount
    Start year

    $1000/week · S&P 500

    2022-01-07 → 2026-08-28 · $1000/week · S&P 500

    Contributed$243,000
    Held to the last date$381,110
    Return+56.8%
    SteadyGrow value$516,252
    vs blind DCA+$135,141
    S&P 5002022-01-07 → 2026-08-28 · $1000/week
     +$135,141 vs blind (+35.5%)Ended +35.5%
    Blind DCASteadyGrow
    $0$135k$270k$404k$539k2022-012022-122023-112024-102025-092026-08

    $1000/week · S&P 500

    The same $500/week starting in 2015

    2015-01-02 → 2026-08-28 · $1000/week · S&P 500

    Contributed$609,000
    Held to the last date$1,590,291
    Return+161.1%
    SteadyGrow value$2,059,675
    vs blind DCA+$469,384
    S&P 5002015-01-02 → 2026-08-28 · $1000/week
     +$469,384 vs blind (+29.5%)Ended +29.5%
    Blind DCASteadyGrow
    $0$540k$1.08M$1.62M$2.16M2015-012017-052019-082021-122024-042026-08

  5. Results

    What the numbers say

    Waiting usually shows up as less capital in and less compounding. Starting in a down year can still look fine a few years later — which is why the 2015 line is sitting next to it, not a lecture.

  6. What changes if…

    Nearby questions

    What if the weekly amount wasn't always the same?

    These pages fix the contribution. SteadyGrow keeps the same long-term budget and sizes weeks from valuation — more when markets are cheap, less when they're stretched.

    Get weekly signals — $29/quarterLive $500/wk experiment →