Should returns from my S&P Index fund (SWPPX) match the S&P 500 index?
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I have been purchasing ~ $300 worth of SWPPX twice per month since March 2015. My annualized return appears to be 8.22%. I used the annual returns for the S&P500 from here:
https://ycharts.com/indicators/sandp_500_total_return_annual
to calculate the average return since 2015 as 9.55%. Can anyone help me understand why my return is over 1% less than the average S&P500 return for this period? Am I losing money to fees?
index-fund dollar-cost-averaging
asked Nov 21 at 22:59
Joe_P
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up vote
2
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favorite
I have been purchasing ~ $300 worth of SWPPX twice per month since March 2015. My annualized return appears to be 8.22%. I used the annual returns for the S&P500 from here:
https://ycharts.com/indicators/sandp_500_total_return_annual
to calculate the average return since 2015 as 9.55%. Can anyone help me understand why my return is over 1% less than the average S&P500 return for this period? Am I losing money to fees?
index-fund dollar-cost-averaging
asked Nov 21 at 22:59
Joe_P
132
4
How did you calculate your annualized return? Are you reinvesting dividends?
– D Stanley
Nov 21 at 23:07
Now you're asking the tough q's D Stanley! Truth is, I read my rate of return off my statement. My account provide a 'portfolio performance' output that summarises investment and returns. It states I have net contributions of $20,272, and a change in value of $2,604.93 having begun investments 03/23/15. Apparently that equates to 8.15% but I'm unclear how that %age is derived.I am reinvesting dividends.
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 2:16
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I have been purchasing ~ $300 worth of SWPPX twice per month since March 2015. My annualized return appears to be 8.22%. I used the annual returns for the S&P500 from here:
https://ycharts.com/indicators/sandp_500_total_return_annual
to calculate the average return since 2015 as 9.55%. Can anyone help me understand why my return is over 1% less than the average S&P500 return for this period? Am I losing money to fees?
index-fund dollar-cost-averaging
asked Nov 21 at 22:59
Joe_P
132
I have been purchasing ~ $300 worth of SWPPX twice per month since March 2015. My annualized return appears to be 8.22%. I used the annual returns for the S&P500 from here:
https://ycharts.com/indicators/sandp_500_total_return_annual
to calculate the average return since 2015 as 9.55%. Can anyone help me understand why my return is over 1% less than the average S&P500 return for this period? Am I losing money to fees?
index-fund dollar-cost-averaging
index-fund dollar-cost-averaging
asked Nov 21 at 22:59
Joe_P
132
asked Nov 21 at 22:59
Joe_P
132
asked Nov 21 at 22:59
Joe_P
132
asked Nov 21 at 22:59
Joe_P
132
asked Nov 21 at 22:59
Joe_P
132
132
4
How did you calculate your annualized return? Are you reinvesting dividends?
– D Stanley
Nov 21 at 23:07
Now you're asking the tough q's D Stanley! Truth is, I read my rate of return off my statement. My account provide a 'portfolio performance' output that summarises investment and returns. It states I have net contributions of $20,272, and a change in value of $2,604.93 having begun investments 03/23/15. Apparently that equates to 8.15% but I'm unclear how that %age is derived.I am reinvesting dividends.
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 2:16
add a comment |
4
How did you calculate your annualized return? Are you reinvesting dividends?
– D Stanley
Nov 21 at 23:07
Now you're asking the tough q's D Stanley! Truth is, I read my rate of return off my statement. My account provide a 'portfolio performance' output that summarises investment and returns. It states I have net contributions of $20,272, and a change in value of $2,604.93 having begun investments 03/23/15. Apparently that equates to 8.15% but I'm unclear how that %age is derived.I am reinvesting dividends.
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 2:16
4
4
How did you calculate your annualized return? Are you reinvesting dividends?
– D Stanley
Nov 21 at 23:07
How did you calculate your annualized return? Are you reinvesting dividends?
– D Stanley
Nov 21 at 23:07
Now you're asking the tough q's D Stanley! Truth is, I read my rate of return off my statement. My account provide a 'portfolio performance' output that summarises investment and returns. It states I have net contributions of $20,272, and a change in value of $2,604.93 having begun investments 03/23/15. Apparently that equates to 8.15% but I'm unclear how that %age is derived.I am reinvesting dividends.
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 2:16
Now you're asking the tough q's D Stanley! Truth is, I read my rate of return off my statement. My account provide a 'portfolio performance' output that summarises investment and returns. It states I have net contributions of $20,272, and a change in value of $2,604.93 having begun investments 03/23/15. Apparently that equates to 8.15% but I'm unclear how that %age is derived.I am reinvesting dividends.
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 2:16
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
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up vote
6
down vote
accepted
Because you're buying at different times.
Total annual return looks at the value today of $X invested on Jan 1 2015. But you don't have $X invested on Jan 1, 2015, you have:
- $Y on Jan 1, 2015
- $Y on Jan 15, 2015
- $Y on Feb 1, 2015
- etc. where the sum of the Y values is X that you're trying to compare
You have a different average unit cost and that impacts your return. Your first contribution will match that return very closely less the expense fee and possibly dividends. Your second contribution hasn't enjoyed all of the time and price appreciation as your first contribution and will have an appropriately different return; in fact the return on your most recent contribution is certainly not 8.22%, it's probably negative.
This is a chart that I made for a different answer but it applies here because it illustrates that each contribution has it's own rate of return. This is a monthly $100 deposit in to VOO
Orange - Your very first $100 (green got lost in the blue)
Yellow - A deposit that went in and immediately lost value
Red - Your most valuable $100. (this $100 was contributed at the lowest unit cost of the bunch)
answered Nov 21 at 23:19
quid
32.9k463111
I think I see - that graphic is really helpful. If that graphic was split annually, the average return on all the 100 dollars payments made through the year (24), which would be about the mid range of all the lines at the end of the year, would not be the annual return - is that right?
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 1:47
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
6
down vote
accepted
Because you're buying at different times.
Total annual return looks at the value today of $X invested on Jan 1 2015. But you don't have $X invested on Jan 1, 2015, you have:
- $Y on Jan 1, 2015
- $Y on Jan 15, 2015
- $Y on Feb 1, 2015
- etc. where the sum of the Y values is X that you're trying to compare
You have a different average unit cost and that impacts your return. Your first contribution will match that return very closely less the expense fee and possibly dividends. Your second contribution hasn't enjoyed all of the time and price appreciation as your first contribution and will have an appropriately different return; in fact the return on your most recent contribution is certainly not 8.22%, it's probably negative.
This is a chart that I made for a different answer but it applies here because it illustrates that each contribution has it's own rate of return. This is a monthly $100 deposit in to VOO
Orange - Your very first $100 (green got lost in the blue)
Yellow - A deposit that went in and immediately lost value
Red - Your most valuable $100. (this $100 was contributed at the lowest unit cost of the bunch)
answered Nov 21 at 23:19
quid
32.9k463111
I think I see - that graphic is really helpful. If that graphic was split annually, the average return on all the 100 dollars payments made through the year (24), which would be about the mid range of all the lines at the end of the year, would not be the annual return - is that right?
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 1:47
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
accepted
Because you're buying at different times.
Total annual return looks at the value today of $X invested on Jan 1 2015. But you don't have $X invested on Jan 1, 2015, you have:
- $Y on Jan 1, 2015
- $Y on Jan 15, 2015
- $Y on Feb 1, 2015
- etc. where the sum of the Y values is X that you're trying to compare
You have a different average unit cost and that impacts your return. Your first contribution will match that return very closely less the expense fee and possibly dividends. Your second contribution hasn't enjoyed all of the time and price appreciation as your first contribution and will have an appropriately different return; in fact the return on your most recent contribution is certainly not 8.22%, it's probably negative.
This is a chart that I made for a different answer but it applies here because it illustrates that each contribution has it's own rate of return. This is a monthly $100 deposit in to VOO
Orange - Your very first $100 (green got lost in the blue)
Yellow - A deposit that went in and immediately lost value
Red - Your most valuable $100. (this $100 was contributed at the lowest unit cost of the bunch)
answered Nov 21 at 23:19
quid
32.9k463111
I think I see - that graphic is really helpful. If that graphic was split annually, the average return on all the 100 dollars payments made through the year (24), which would be about the mid range of all the lines at the end of the year, would not be the annual return - is that right?
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 1:47
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
accepted
up vote
6
down vote
accepted
Because you're buying at different times.
Total annual return looks at the value today of $X invested on Jan 1 2015. But you don't have $X invested on Jan 1, 2015, you have:
- $Y on Jan 1, 2015
- $Y on Jan 15, 2015
- $Y on Feb 1, 2015
- etc. where the sum of the Y values is X that you're trying to compare
You have a different average unit cost and that impacts your return. Your first contribution will match that return very closely less the expense fee and possibly dividends. Your second contribution hasn't enjoyed all of the time and price appreciation as your first contribution and will have an appropriately different return; in fact the return on your most recent contribution is certainly not 8.22%, it's probably negative.
This is a chart that I made for a different answer but it applies here because it illustrates that each contribution has it's own rate of return. This is a monthly $100 deposit in to VOO
Orange - Your very first $100 (green got lost in the blue)
Yellow - A deposit that went in and immediately lost value
Red - Your most valuable $100. (this $100 was contributed at the lowest unit cost of the bunch)
answered Nov 21 at 23:19
quid
32.9k463111
Because you're buying at different times.
Total annual return looks at the value today of $X invested on Jan 1 2015. But you don't have $X invested on Jan 1, 2015, you have:
- $Y on Jan 1, 2015
- $Y on Jan 15, 2015
- $Y on Feb 1, 2015
- etc. where the sum of the Y values is X that you're trying to compare
You have a different average unit cost and that impacts your return. Your first contribution will match that return very closely less the expense fee and possibly dividends. Your second contribution hasn't enjoyed all of the time and price appreciation as your first contribution and will have an appropriately different return; in fact the return on your most recent contribution is certainly not 8.22%, it's probably negative.
This is a chart that I made for a different answer but it applies here because it illustrates that each contribution has it's own rate of return. This is a monthly $100 deposit in to VOO
Orange - Your very first $100 (green got lost in the blue)
Yellow - A deposit that went in and immediately lost value
Red - Your most valuable $100. (this $100 was contributed at the lowest unit cost of the bunch)
answered Nov 21 at 23:19
quid
32.9k463111
edited Nov 21 at 23:38
answered Nov 21 at 23:19
quid
32.9k463111
answered Nov 21 at 23:19
quid
32.9k463111
answered Nov 21 at 23:19
quid
32.9k463111
32.9k463111
I think I see - that graphic is really helpful. If that graphic was split annually, the average return on all the 100 dollars payments made through the year (24), which would be about the mid range of all the lines at the end of the year, would not be the annual return - is that right?
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 1:47
add a comment |
I think I see - that graphic is really helpful. If that graphic was split annually, the average return on all the 100 dollars payments made through the year (24), which would be about the mid range of all the lines at the end of the year, would not be the annual return - is that right?
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 1:47
I think I see - that graphic is really helpful. If that graphic was split annually, the average return on all the 100 dollars payments made through the year (24), which would be about the mid range of all the lines at the end of the year, would not be the annual return - is that right?
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 1:47
I think I see - that graphic is really helpful. If that graphic was split annually, the average return on all the 100 dollars payments made through the year (24), which would be about the mid range of all the lines at the end of the year, would not be the annual return - is that right?
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 1:47
add a comment |
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4
How did you calculate your annualized return? Are you reinvesting dividends?
– D Stanley
Nov 21 at 23:07
Now you're asking the tough q's D Stanley! Truth is, I read my rate of return off my statement. My account provide a 'portfolio performance' output that summarises investment and returns. It states I have net contributions of $20,272, and a change in value of $2,604.93 having begun investments 03/23/15. Apparently that equates to 8.15% but I'm unclear how that %age is derived.I am reinvesting dividends.
– Joe_P
Nov 22 at 2:16