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How did investing in TQQQ every month compare with QQQ and QLD?

Results and drawdowns of putting $500 a month into TQQQ (3x), QLD (2x) and QQQ on the same days.

Confluence Zone operator · Data as of September 30, 2026 · Calculated October 1, 2026 · Recomputed monthly

Summary

Putting $500 a month in for 15 years from October 2011 ended at $3,143,640 in TQQQ, $1,466,136 in QLD and $478,412 in QQQ. The money put in was $90,000 in each case.

Along the way, TQQQ fell 81.7% from its peak (QQQ fell 35.1%). The Nasdaq-100 rose a lot in this period, which favored leverage. With a worse start, the result would have been very different.

In the 5-year window from Oct 2021 to Sep 2026, the TQQQ balance was at one point 60.7% below the money put in.

$500 a month on the same days

Case	Put in	End balance	Return	Annual return (IRR)	Max drawdown	Max loss vs. money in
TQQQ 5 yearsOct 2021 to Sep 2026	$30,000	$98,669	+228.9%	49.8%	−81.7%	−60.7%
QLD 5 yearsOct 2021 to Sep 2026	$30,000	$76,333	+154.4%	38.5%	−63.8%	−44.5%
QQQ 5 yearsOct 2021 to Sep 2026	$30,000	$54,046	+80.2%	23.8%	−35.3%	−24.0%
TQQQ 10 yearsOct 2016 to Sep 2026	$60,000	$463,750	+672.9%	38.4%	−81.7%	−18.1%
QLD 10 yearsOct 2016 to Sep 2026	$60,000	$336,389	+460.6%	32.4%	−63.7%	−9.2%
QQQ 10 yearsOct 2016 to Sep 2026	$60,000	$180,486	+200.8%	20.9%	−35.1%	−3.7%
TQQQ 15 yearsOct 2011 to Sep 2026	$90,000	$3,143,640	+3,392.9%	41.4%	−81.7%	−9.3%
QLD 15 yearsOct 2011 to Sep 2026	$90,000	$1,466,136	+1,529.0%	32.7%	−63.7%	−5.7%
QQQ 15 yearsOct 2011 to Sep 2026	$90,000	$478,412	+431.6%	20.0%	−35.1%	−2.5%

TQQQ listed in February 2010, so the longest window is 15 years.

Balance compared with the money put in, at each month-end, for $500 a month on the same days over Oct 2021 to Sep 2026. TQQQ was at −57% in its lowest month and +229% in the last month. The 0% line is the money put in.

How it was calculated

$500 went in on the first trading day of every month, including the first month.
Each buy or sell was charged 0.15% as a cost. Taxes, currency conversion costs and interest on cash are not included.
Dividends were reinvested at the price on each ex-dividend date. Taxes on dividends are not deducted.
Annual return (IRR) is the average yearly return that accounts for when each deposit went in. Max loss vs. money in is the largest gap by which the balance fell below the total put in up to that day.
The as-of date is the last trading day of last month (September 30, 2026). The numbers are recomputed at the start of each month.
Buy and sell decisions use the close, and trades fill at the next trading day's open. See the backtest spec

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Common questions

How far below the money put in did TQQQ monthly investing fall?

For Oct 2011 to Sep 2026, the balance was at most 9.3% below the money put in. In the 5-year window from Oct 2021 to Sep 2026, it was as much as 60.7% below.

Would the results change with an amount other than $500 a month?

In this TQQQ, QLD 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.

Are dividends included?

Yes. This TQQQ, QLD and QQQ calculation reinvests each dividend at the price on its ex-dividend date. Taxes on dividends are not deducted.

Would the result be the same when investing in a currency other than dollars?

No. This TQQQ, QLD and QQQ calculation is in US dollars. Exchange rate changes and the fee and tax differences of locally listed ETFs are not included.