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

    2020-01-03 → 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

    $500/week · S&P 500

    2020-01-03 → 2026-08-28 · $500/week · S&P 500

    Contributed$174,000
    Held to the last date$310,672
    Return+78.5%
    SteadyGrow value$403,592
    vs blind DCA+$92,920
    S&P 5002020-01-03 → 2026-08-28 · $500/week
     +$92,920 vs blind (+29.9%)Ended +29.9%
    Blind DCASteadyGrow
    $0$106k$211k$317k$422k2020-012021-042022-092023-122025-052026-08

    $500/week · S&P 500

    The same $500/week starting in 2015

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

    Contributed$304,500
    Held to the last date$795,146
    Return+161.1%
    SteadyGrow value$1,029,838
    vs blind DCA+$234,692
    S&P 5002015-01-02 → 2026-08-28 · $500/week
     +$234,692 vs blind (+29.5%)Ended +29.5%
    Blind DCASteadyGrow
    $0$270k$540k$810k$1.08M2015-012017-052019-082021-122024-042026-08

  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 →