DCA Required Rate Calculator
Given amount per period, the number of periods and a target value, solve the required per-period rate, annualized assuming monthly contributions (math only, no promise).
Results
Fill in the inputs and click Calculate.
- Required Rate per Period
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- Annualized (Monthly)
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Risk disclaimer
The solved rate is a mathematical requirement, not an achievable return; make no return assumptions from it.
What does this solve?
Answering “if I invest X monthly for N months and want Y, what monthly return is needed?”
It uses the ordinary annuity formula: FV = amount × ((1+r)^n − 1) ÷ r.
Deterministic math only — no return is implied or promised.
How to use
- Enter the amount per period.
- Enter the number of periods (monthly → annualized over 12).
- Enter the target value (must exceed the total contributions).
- Click Calculate for the required per-period and annualized rates.
Formula
- FV = amount × ((1+r)^periods − 1) ÷ r
- Bisect to solve the per-period rate r
- Annualized = (1 + per-period rate)^12 − 1
Example
Invest 100 monthly for 36 periods targeting 4,500 → ≈ 1.24% per month, ≈ 15.9% annualized.
Higher targets need higher rates; a target at or below total contributions has no positive-rate solution.
FAQ
Why annualize over 12?
Periods are treated as months here; weekly schedules need their own conversion and give different annualized numbers.
Is this a forecast?
No. It reports the rate needed to hit a target; whether markets deliver it is another matter entirely.
Can these calculations be executed automatically?
Yes. Work out the parameters and risk limits here first, then hand the same rules to a quant system such as CubeQuants so you don't have to place orders manually. Fills still depend on your exchange, so verify with a small size first.