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S&P 500 and cash total returns over the ten years to Oct 27, 2026, computed by ETFIQ from SPY and BIL.

Cash drag calculator

what holding cash cost over ten years

As of Oct 27, 2026

At the last ten years’ averages, holding 20% in cash for 10 years would leave $10,000 about $6,013 behind fully invested: the S&P 500 returned 15.6% a year and cash 2.3%, to Oct 27, 2026.

Past averages are not a forecast.
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Cash drag

Hypothetical · from your inputs

At the last ten years’ averages, holding 20% in cash for 10 years would leave $10,000 about $6,013 behind fully invested.

$42,617
$10,000 fully invested after 10 years, at 15.6% a year
$36,604
with 20% in cash at 2.3% a year
−$6,013
what that cash cost

Uses SPY’s and BIL’s total returns over the ten years to Oct 27, 2026: 15.6% and 2.3% a year. Past averages are not a forecast.

Twelve months of payouts

Hypothetical · from your inputs

$10,000 in 40% JEPI, 30% JEPQ and 30% QQQI would pay about $1,052 over the twelve months from Oct 2026.

Oct 2026$0
Nov 2026$88
Dec 2026$88
Jan 2027$88
Feb 2027$88
Mar 2027$88
Apr 2027$88
May 2027$88
Jun 2027$88
Jul 2027$123
Aug 2027$140
Sep 2027$88

Each fund’s next payments from ETFIQ’s payout data, then its last payment repeated at its own cadence: 36 of the payments are projected, not declared. Of the cash from QQQI, 100% is return of capital, on the issuer’s latest estimate.

Where to next
Protect→Move→Own→My portfolio→Buffer ladder→
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, Cash drag calculator, data as of Oct 27, 2026. https://etfiq.com/portfolio/cash/

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms. The underlying files are at Open data.

Questions people ask

Where do the averages come from?
SPY’s and BIL’s total returns over the ten years from Oct 28, 2016 to Oct 27, 2026, with every payout reinvested, as a yearly rate. BIL holds 1 to 3 month Treasury bills.
Is cash ever the better choice?
Over a single bad year, yes. Over ten years stocks have usually beaten cash, and this shows by how much on the last ten.

Numbers from data carry their date. Anything computed from your inputs is hypothetical and before fees unless stated. Not investment advice.