Time Travel Investing – Historical & Future DCA Simulator
Time Travel Investing is a free interactive calculator on ApexTicker that lets students and investors explore how recurring monthly investments would have performed in the past – and how they might grow in the future – using real market data for stocks, ETFs, crypto or gold.
What this tool does
The tool demonstrates the idea of dollar‑cost averaging (DCA), where a fixed amount is invested on a regular schedule instead of trying to time the market. By changing the asset, monthly investment and time period, students can instantly see how consistent contributions compound over time.
- Explore “Past (History)” scenarios to see how much wealth a learner would have built with a simple monthly plan.
- Use the “Future (Forecast)” mode to visualize potential long‑term outcomes under different contribution schedules and growth assumptions.
- Compare the total cash invested versus the portfolio value to highlight the impact of time in the market and market volatility.
Why it is useful for financial education
Many learners struggle to connect abstract compound‑growth formulas with real market behavior. This tool turns those concepts into a visual, hands‑on experience that can be used in class, labs or homework.
- Helps students see how long‑term investing and DCA can reduce the risk of investing a lump sum at the “wrong” time.
- Provides an intuitive way to discuss volatility, risk, and realistic expectations for asset returns across different time horizons.
- Supports classroom discussions around budgeting, saving habits and building a disciplined investment plan over many years.
How to use the tool
The interface is designed so that students can begin experimenting in less than a minute, with no account or login required.
- 1. Choose an asset from the dropdown (for example a stock, index fund, cryptocurrency, or gold).
- 2. Set a monthly investment amount and the duration in years. The tool automatically calculates the total cash contributed.
- 3. Select “Past (History)” to simulate investing from a past date using historical price data, or choose “Future (Forecast)” to project potential growth going forward.
- 4. Review the projected wealth chart, which plots the historical or simulated portfolio value alongside the total amount invested.
- 5. Adjust the inputs to test “what‑if” scenarios and spark discussion about long‑term investing habits.