If you'd invested every month, how long to reach $1M?
10-eok flips the usual return-calculator question around. Most calculators ask "if I invest this much now, how much will I have later?" — 10-eok asks "how long would it have taken, in the past, to reach my goal ($1M)?" It's not based on some assumed, made-up return — it uses actual historical daily closing prices, so you can see "if only I'd started back then" as a concrete number.
The math is simple. Assume you bought the chosen ETF with the same dollar amount, on the same day every month (moving to the next trading day if the market was closed), at that day's real closing price, and find the first point where your accumulated balance crosses $1M.
Results by ticker, from real historical data
The table below assumes you invested $700 every month, on the 1st, and shows how long it took each ETF to reach $1M. "Time to goal" is calculated working backwards from today — in other words, "if you'd started saving about this many years ago, you'd be at $1M today." Dividends are reinvested; taxes and fees are excluded by default.
| Ticker | $700/mo → $1M | Annualized return |
|---|---|---|
| TQQQNasdaq-100 3x | ~11y 2m | +37% |
| SOXXUS semiconductors | ~12y 7m | +30% |
| QLDNasdaq-100 2x | ~12y 9m | +32% |
| VGTUS technology | ~16y 2m | +20% |
| QQQNasdaq-100 | ~17y 3m | +21% |
| SPYS&P 500 | ~22y 8m | +11% |
| JEPIUS covered call | ~32y 11m | +8% |
| GLDGold | Didn't reach it even over the full period · currently about $607.9K | +10% |
| VOOS&P 500 (Vanguard) | Didn't reach it even over the full period · currently about $486.7K | +15% |
| VTGlobal stocks | Didn't reach it even over the full period · currently about $476.9K | +9% |
| VNQUS REITs | Didn't reach it even over the full period · currently about $445.5K | +8% |
| SCHDUS dividend growth | Didn't reach it even over the full period · currently about $339.3K | +13% |
| AGGUS aggregate bonds | Didn't reach it even over the full period · currently about $257.5K | +3% |
| TLTUS long-term Treasuries | Didn't reach it even over the full period · currently about $246.6K | +4% |
| JEPQNasdaq covered call | Didn't reach it even over the full period · currently about $52.8K | +16% |
Data as of Jul 2026. Each ETF's data starts at a different point, so comparing the raw duration isn't quite apples-to-apples. See the full ETF comparison for composition and risk alongside the $1M results, or tap a ticker to see the details and run your own numbers.
How to read these numbers
The first thing to keep in mind: the times above are close to the best-case scenario for when you started. With the same ticker and the same monthly amount, results can swing enormously depending on when you began. Leveraged ETFs like QLD (2x) and TQQQ (3x) in particular can be explosive in a rising market, but in a falling or sideways market, losses and so-called volatility drag add up fast — so the outcome varies wildly depending on your start date, even over the same stretch of time. When a leveraged ticker looks faster in the table, it also means it took on that much more risk.
That's why 10-eok's calculator also has a "timing risk" feature: it runs the same plan starting from every past month and shows you the range from worst to median to best outcome. Looking at "how much the result can swing based on luck" is a lot more realistic than the single number in the table above.
Data and methodology
- Price: Yahoo Finance daily adjusted close. Dividend reinvestment, stock splits, and expense ratios are already reflected.
- Currency: All prices are in USD — no currency conversion is needed.
- Assumptions: Dividends reinvested (ON), contributions on a fixed day each month, balance shown at market value (unrealized). Taxes and fees are not subtracted by default; the calculator lets you turn on inflation-adjusted contributions.
- Updates: Market data refreshes automatically once a day.
The exact assumptions, simplifications, and answers to common questions are laid out transparently on the How it works & FAQ page.
Learn more
- Full ETF comparison — composition, character, risk, and $1M results side by side
- How dollar-cost averaging (DCA) works — why buying steadily every month feels a lot easier
- The risks of leveraged ETFs — losses and volatility drag as big as the 2x/3x gains
- All investing guides · About 10-eok
10-eok is an educational, informational tool that uses real historical data — it does not recommend buying any specific security and does not provide investment or financial advice. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and leveraged products carry a high risk of losing principal. You alone are responsible for your investment decisions and their outcomes.