What if you invested monthly in a US total market fund (VTI) for 25 years?
Twenty-five years passes through several major crises and recoveries in the US market. Entry timing fades in importance, and whether you sat through the crises decides the outcome.
Investment conditions
Asset · US Total Market (VTI)
Method · Recurring monthly investment
Period · 2001-07-01 ~ 2026-07-01
Amount · $222 / month
As of · 2026-07-01
Key metrics
These results do not reflect taxes. Based on historical data.
Risk & recovery
As important as returns. This service does not hide maximum drawdown or loss periods.
Maximum drawdown (MDD)
-46.6%
Largest drop from peak
Longest loss period
13months
Months in loss: 27
Recovery period
9months
Growth over time
Invested principal (dashed) and portfolio value (solid). Values below match the calculation.
Total invested $66,889 → Final value $386,910 (+478.4%), Maximum drawdown (MDD) -46.6%
Why this period and asset
July 2001 fell as the dot-com bubble deflated, so the plan met an immediate decline and the 2001 recession. Over 25 years it then met the 2008 global financial crisis, the 2020 pandemic crash, and the 2022 rate-hike correction, one crisis after another. In between came the 2003-2007 recovery, the long bull market after 2009, and a strong AI-era rebound. VTI holds the entire US listed market from large caps down to small caps, mirroring the trajectory of the whole US economy.
Interpreting the result
Over a span as long as 25 years, compounding becomes the central axis of the result. Yet the path was anything but smooth. The dot-com bust and 2008 brought large maximum drawdowns and long stretches below invested cost, some taking several years to recover. Buying a fixed amount each month accumulated more units at low prices during those crashes, and if you held through them the recovery lifted those purchases. The point of this result is less the headline return and more the fact that it passed through deep drawdowns and long time-underwater.
Caveats & limits
This is a simplified simulation that ignores taxes, trading fees, and currency effects. Even over 25 years, dividend reinvestment, taxes, and fees shape real outcomes. Past performance does not guarantee future returns and depends on one specific start date. Figures follow USD-based prices; returns in another currency depend on exchange rates.
Data sources & limits
- Price data source: Yahoo Finance / FinanceDataReader
- Collected on: 2026-07-23
- Effective trading date: 2026-07-01
- Price basis: 复权收盘价(已反映股息与拆股)
- Trading fees and taxes are not reflected — figures are pre-tax.
- Based on historical data; does not guarantee future returns.
Frequently asked questions
How does VTI differ from the S&P 500?
The S&P 500 is large-cap focused, while VTI holds the entire US listed market including mid- and small-caps. It therefore reflects small-cap moves more broadly.
Is holding for 25 years without selling realistic?
Sitting through the deep drawdowns and long time-underwater of the dot-com bust and 2008 is psychologically very hard. This simulation assumes no selling in between; in reality, stopping or selling could change the outcome substantially.
Are dividends included here?
It is based on VTI price data and does not separately model dividend reinvestment or dividend taxes. Over long horizons, whether dividends are reinvested strongly affects real results.
Related scenarios
📋 结果基于历史数据计算,过去的收益不代表未来的收益。
📋 本服务旨在帮助理解投资、供教育之用,并非投资建议。