Evidence-first money workflow · Finance & Business
Dollar-Cost Averaging Schedule Calculator
Analyze a dollar-cost averaging CSV with purchase dates, prices, contributions, units acquired, average cost, and value at the final price.
- 1Prepare
- 2Analyze
- 3Review and export
Prepare the evidence
Paste the documented CSV schema or choose a local CSV file. Nothing is sent to Nirmion.
Review the analysis
Summary metrics lead back to the rows that support them.
Method and interpretation
How to use Dollar-Cost Averaging Schedule Calculator
Use this dollar-cost averaging calculator after planning or completing equal or varied recurring investments. It reconstructs how many units each contribution could buy, the cumulative units, and the weighted average cost per unit. The schedule is useful for checking a spreadsheet, explaining why lower prices buy more units, and separating the discipline of recurring contributions from claims about future return.
Prepare the input
Provide one unique ISO date, positive unit price, and positive contribution per row. Dates identify purchases but do not change the arithmetic. Use the executed price when auditing actual trades and a scenario price when planning. Keep commissions outside the contribution unless the source amount already includes them, and use one security and currency per run so the average cost remains meaningful.
Check the worked example
The worked example contributes USD 500 on six dates while prices move from USD 100 to USD 92, USD 105, USD 98, USD 110, and USD 115. The second purchase acquires more units than the first; later higher-price purchases acquire fewer. The cumulative ledger makes the effect visible without suggesting the timing was optimal.
Read the evidence
Compare units bought across rows: the same contribution buys more units at lower prices and fewer at higher prices. Average cost per unit equals all contributions divided by all units, so it is not the simple average of the price column. Value at final entered price is a snapshot using the last CSV price, not a live quote. A gain or loss against contributed cash reflects only that final scenario price.
Calculation method
Units bought = contribution ÷ price. Cumulative units are the running sum. Average cost per unit = total contributions ÷ cumulative units. Ending snapshot value = cumulative units × the last entered price. Calculations retain fractional units internally and display six decimal places; currency results round to minor units.
Questions this workflow helps answer
Use these questions to confirm that this tool matches the task you need to complete.
- How many units does each dollar-cost averaging contribution buy?
- What is my weighted average cost per share from recurring investments?
- How does buying at lower prices affect a dollar-cost averaging schedule?
Limits and decision boundary
The tool excludes commissions, bid-ask spread, taxes, distributions, reinvestment, foreign exchange, market hours, and fractional-share restrictions. Dollar-cost averaging can manage timing discipline but does not prevent investment loss or guarantee a better result than investing a lump sum. Dates are not used to annualize return.
Common mistake
Do not average the listed prices to find cost basis. Each price purchased a different number of units, so divide total contributed cash by total units. Also avoid using a current market price as if it were the actual execution price for historical rows.
Your pasted values and selected CSV files are processed in this browser tab. This workflow does not connect to a bank, save a budget, or provide financial, tax, legal, or investment advice.
Questions about this workflow
Can contributions be different amounts?
Yes. The ledger calculates each row independently and produces a contribution-weighted average cost.
Is the final value a performance return?
No. It is cumulative units multiplied by the last entered price. Use a return analyzer with cash-flow timing for performance.
Does dollar-cost averaging remove market risk?
No. It creates a regular purchase process, while prices and the investment’s value can still fall.