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Monthly investing in SPY and QQQ with the stock share held at 90, 70 or 50%, compared with 100% stocks.
Putting $500 a month into SPY for 20 years from October 2006, while resetting to 70% stocks and 30% cash each month, ended at $351,965. With 100% in stocks, it ended at $566,043.
The max drawdown went from −55.3% to −42.4%. Cash earned no interest in this calculation, so with savings or short-term bonds the 70/30 result would be a little higher.
| Case | Put in | End balance | Return | Annual return (IRR) | Max drawdown | Max loss vs. money in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPY 10 years, 100% stocksOct 2016 to Sep 2026 | $60,000 | $136,164 | +126.9% | 15.7% | −33.7% | −12.8% |
| SPY 10 years, 90% stocks, 10% cashOct 2016 to Sep 2026 | $60,000 | $125,568 | +109.3% | 14.2% | −30.6% | −11.1% |
| SPY 10 years, 70% stocks, 30% cashOct 2016 to Sep 2026 | $60,000 | $106,598 | +77.7% | 11.1% | −24.3% | −8.0% |
| SPY 10 years, 50% stocks, 50% cashOct 2016 to Sep 2026 | $60,000 | $90,390 | +50.7% | 8.0% | −17.7% | −5.3% |
| SPY 20 years, 100% stocksOct 2006 to Sep 2026 | $120,000 | $566,043 | +371.7% | 13.7% | −55.3% | −44.8% |
| SPY 20 years, 90% stocks, 10% cashOct 2006 to Sep 2026 | $120,000 | $483,331 | +302.8% | 12.4% | −51.3% | −41.3% |
| SPY 20 years, 70% stocks, 30% cashOct 2006 to Sep 2026 | $120,000 | $351,965 | +193.3% | 9.8% | −42.4% | −33.8% |
| SPY 20 years, 50% stocks, 50% cashOct 2006 to Sep 2026 | $120,000 | $256,712 | +113.9% | 7.0% | −32.3% | −25.3% |
| QQQ 10 years, 100% stocksOct 2016 to Sep 2026 | $60,000 | $180,486 | +200.8% | 20.9% | −35.1% | −3.7% |
| QQQ 10 years, 90% stocks, 10% cashOct 2016 to Sep 2026 | $60,000 | $161,748 | +169.6% | 18.9% | −32.0% | −3.4% |
| QQQ 10 years, 70% stocks, 30% cashOct 2016 to Sep 2026 | $60,000 | $129,606 | +116.0% | 14.7% | −25.5% | −2.6% |
| QQQ 10 years, 50% stocks, 50% cashOct 2016 to Sep 2026 | $60,000 | $103,759 | +72.9% | 10.6% | −18.7% | −1.9% |
| QQQ 20 years, 100% stocksOct 2006 to Sep 2026 | $120,000 | $1,063,801 | +786.5% | 18.8% | −53.5% | −43.3% |
| QQQ 20 years, 90% stocks, 10% cashOct 2006 to Sep 2026 | $120,000 | $849,427 | +607.9% | 17.0% | −49.4% | −39.6% |
| QQQ 20 years, 70% stocks, 30% cashOct 2006 to Sep 2026 | $120,000 | $540,731 | +350.6% | 13.3% | −40.4% | −31.7% |
| QQQ 20 years, 50% stocks, 50% cashOct 2006 to Sep 2026 | $120,000 | $345,500 | +187.9% | 9.6% | −30.3% | −23.3% |
On each deposit day, holdings are bought or sold to match the target mix. Cash interest is set to zero.
You can change the ticker, period and monthly amount and calculate the same way. No sign-in needed.
That has not been calculated yet. These results mix stocks with cash only.
That has not been calculated yet. These results reset the mix every month.
In this SPY and QQQ calculation, the returns stay almost the same and only the amounts scale. Only the basket method, which buys whole shares, differs a little.
Yes. This SPY and QQQ calculation reinvests each dividend at the price on its ex-dividend date. Taxes on dividends are not deducted.
No. This SPY and QQQ calculation is in US dollars. Exchange rate changes and the fee and tax differences of locally listed ETFs are not included.
These results are calculated from past prices. They do not guarantee future returns and do not recommend any product.
