📈 Track your real recovery progress — live P&L, avg cost, weekly AI signals Try Pro free →
DCA calculator DCA backtest Real returns Loss recovery

Investment Loss Recovery Calculator

See exactly how much gain you need to break even — and how long recovery takes with different return rates. Includes the DCA effect: how continuing to invest after a loss dramatically speeds up recovery.

Your loss
Quick select
Portfolio loss 30%
Starting value $10,000
$
Recovery assumptions
Annual return rate 10%
Monthly DCA contribution $200
$
Common scenarios
Value after loss
$0
Lost $0
Gain needed to break even
0%
To return to starting value
Recovery time (no DCA)
0 yrs
Hold only, no new contributions
Recovery time (with DCA)
0 yrs
DCA saves — years
Extra invested during recovery
$0
Total DCA contributions
Portfolio value at recovery
$0
With DCA contributions
Recovery path over time
With DCA
No DCA (hold only)
Break-even target
Loss Value after loss Gain needed to break even Recovery (no DCA) Recovery (with DCA)

Why losses require a disproportionately large gain to recover: If you lose 50% of $10,000, you're left with $5,000. To get back to $10,000, you need to double your money — a 100% gain on $5,000. The math is asymmetric: the larger the loss, the steeper the required recovery. A 90% loss requires a 900% gain just to break even. DCA dramatically changes this equation — by buying more shares at lower prices during the drawdown, your average cost drops, which means you need a smaller price recovery to reach break-even.

Track your actual recovery in real time — live P&L, real avg cost per asset, and weekly AI signals on your portfolio.

Try Pro free →
Recovery calculations assume constant annual return rates applied monthly. Actual market returns are variable and unpredictable. DCA contributions assume purchases at current depressed prices throughout recovery. This calculator is for educational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.

How the loss recovery calculator works

Investment losses require a disproportionately larger gain to recover — one of the most counterintuitive facts in personal finance. A 50% loss requires a 100% gain to break even. A 70% loss requires a 233% gain. The math is asymmetric because you are earning returns on a smaller base. This calculator shows exactly what gain is needed for any loss level and how long recovery takes at different return rates.

The DCA effect is where this calculator gets particularly useful. By continuing to invest after a market decline you buy additional shares at lower prices, lowering your average cost basis. A lower average cost means you need a smaller price recovery to reach break-even. The calculator compares recovery time with and without DCA contributions to show how much faster break-even arrives when you keep investing through the downturn.

How to use this calculator

For strategy context on investing through downturns, read our guide on how to invest in a volatile market and using the Fear & Greed Index for DCA timing.