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Monthly investing or one lump sum? What happened in each tracked fund

By ReturnKoto? Published Updated

We ran the same window both ways across every fund we track and counted which approach came out ahead, fund by fund.

These figures update themselves. Every number below is recalculated from NAV history each day, so this page is current as of 24 September 2026 rather than the day it was written.

The usual advice is that investing monthly protects you from bad timing. The usual counter is that markets rise more often than they fall, so putting money in earlier tends to win. Both arguments are reasonable and neither settles anything.

We can just count.

The count

Across 35 funds over 2 years, a single lump sum at the start produced the higher annualised result in 6 funds. Monthly investing produced the higher result in 29.

Over this particular window, monthly investing came out ahead in 29 of 35 funds. That is a fact about this window, not a law.

Here is every fund, both ways. Each row is one fund; the two dots are the two methods over the same months, as a return per year.

  1. VIPB Fixed Income20.00% 20.71%: one-time 20.00% a year, monthly 20.71% a year
  2. Ekush Growth15.20% 16.74%: one-time 15.20% a year, monthly 16.74% a year
  3. Ekush Stable Return16.21% 16.73%: one-time 16.21% a year, monthly 16.73% a year
  4. UCB Income Plus16.09% 15.77%: one-time 16.09% a year, monthly 15.77% a year
  5. EDGE AMC Growth15.46% 16.04%: one-time 15.46% a year, monthly 16.04% a year
  6. EDGE Bangladesh15.59% 15.95%: one-time 15.59% a year, monthly 15.95% a year
  7. Ekush First14.46% 15.87%: one-time 14.46% a year, monthly 15.87% a year
  8. Shanta Fixed Income14.76% 15.14%: one-time 14.76% a year, monthly 15.14% a year
  9. EDGE High Quality Income14.73% 13.53%: one-time 14.73% a year, monthly 13.53% a year
  10. BCB ICL Growth9.95% 13.70%: one-time 9.95% a year, monthly 13.70% a year
  11. LB Gratuity Opportunities9.74% 12.88%: one-time 9.74% a year, monthly 12.88% a year
  12. ICL Balanced9.17% 12.71%: one-time 9.17% a year, monthly 12.71% a year
  13. IDLC Balanced10.83% 12.44%: one-time 10.83% a year, monthly 12.44% a year
  14. Esquire ICL Apparel7.97% 11.42%: one-time 7.97% a year, monthly 11.42% a year
  15. LB Gratuity Wealth Builder4.44% 11.21%: one-time 4.44% a year, monthly 11.21% a year
  16. Shanta First Income7.43% 11.15%: one-time 7.43% a year, monthly 11.15% a year
  17. IDLC Income10.93% 7.11%: one-time 10.93% a year, monthly 7.11% a year
  18. CWT Emerging Bangladesh First Growth8.92% 10.92%: one-time 8.92% a year, monthly 10.92% a year
  19. VIPB Balanced9.33% 10.84%: one-time 9.33% a year, monthly 10.84% a year
  20. LankaBangla 1st Balanced9.58% 10.54%: one-time 9.58% a year, monthly 10.54% a year
  21. VIPB Growth9.05% 10.28%: one-time 9.05% a year, monthly 10.28% a year
  22. VIPB Accelerated Income8.77% 10.16%: one-time 8.77% a year, monthly 10.16% a year
  23. IDLC Growth10.02% 10.07%: one-time 10.02% a year, monthly 10.07% a year
  24. CWT Sadharan Bima Growth8.41% 9.04%: one-time 8.41% a year, monthly 9.04% a year
  25. EDGE Al-Amin Shariah Consumer8.40% 8.75%: one-time 8.40% a year, monthly 8.75% a year
  26. CWT Opportunities7.74% 7.89%: one-time 7.74% a year, monthly 7.89% a year
  27. ICL INCTL Shariah4.18% 7.16%: one-time 4.18% a year, monthly 7.16% a year
  28. VIPB NLI 1st6.79% 6.60%: one-time 6.79% a year, monthly 6.60% a year
  29. IDLC AML Shariah6.56% 5.58%: one-time 6.56% a year, monthly 5.58% a year
  30. VIPB SEBL 1st6.41% 5.94%: one-time 6.41% a year, monthly 5.94% a year
  31. LankaBangla Al-Arafah Shariah4.84% 6.35%: one-time 4.84% a year, monthly 6.35% a year
  32. Shanta Amanah Shariah4.58% 6.27%: one-time 4.58% a year, monthly 6.27% a year
  33. UCB Taqwa Growth1.18% 2.55%: one-time 1.18% a year, monthly 2.55% a year
  34. CWT Community Bank Shariah1.00% 2.32%: one-time 1.00% a year, monthly 2.32% a year
  35. UCB AML First0.34% 0.56%: one-time 0.34% a year, monthly 0.56% a year
Return per year over 2 years for every fund with both figures: one amount at the start (time-weighted) against equal amounts paid in every month (money-weighted). Dividends reinvested, through 24 September 2026. Each name links to the fund.
Return per year over 2 years: one-time against monthly, the leading figure in bold. Dividends reinvested, NAV history through 24 September 2026.
FundOne-timeMonthly
VIPB Fixed Income Fund (Income)20.00%20.71%
Ekush Growth Fund (Growth)15.20%16.74%
Ekush Stable Return Fund (Income)16.21%16.73%
UCB Income Plus Fund (Income)16.09%15.77%
EDGE AMC Growth Fund (Growth)15.46%16.04%
EDGE Bangladesh Mutual Fund (Growth)15.59%15.95%
Ekush First Unit Fund (Balanced)14.46%15.87%
Shanta Fixed Income Fund (Income)14.76%15.14%
EDGE High Quality Income Fund (Income)14.73%13.53%
BCB ICL Growth Fund (Growth)9.95%13.70%
LB Gratuity Opportunities Fund (Balanced)9.74%12.88%
ICL Balanced Fund (Balanced)9.17%12.71%
IDLC Balanced Fund (Balanced)10.83%12.44%
Esquire ICL Apparel Fund (Growth)7.97%11.42%
LB Gratuity Wealth Builder Fund (Balanced)4.44%11.21%
Shanta First Income Unit Fund (Growth)7.43%11.15%
IDLC Income Fund (Income)10.93%7.11%
CWT Emerging Bangladesh First Growth Fund (Growth)8.92%10.92%
VIPB Balanced Fund (Balanced)9.33%10.84%
LankaBangla 1st Balanced Unit Fund (Balanced)9.58%10.54%
VIPB Growth Fund (Growth)9.05%10.28%
VIPB Accelerated Income Unit Fund (Income)8.77%10.16%
IDLC Growth Fund (Growth)10.02%10.07%
CWT Sadharan Bima Growth Fund (Growth)8.41%9.04%
EDGE Al-Amin Shariah Consumer Fund (Balanced)8.40%8.75%
CWT Opportunities Fund (Growth)7.74%7.89%
ICL INCTL Shariah Fund (Balanced)4.18%7.16%
VIPB NLI 1st Unit Fund (Growth)6.79%6.60%
IDLC AML Shariah Fund (Growth)6.56%5.58%
VIPB SEBL 1st Unit Fund (Growth)6.41%5.94%
LankaBangla Al-Arafah Shariah Unit Fund (Balanced)4.84%6.35%
Shanta Amanah Shariah Fund (Growth)4.58%6.27%
UCB Taqwa Growth Fund (Growth)1.18%2.55%
CWT Community Bank Shariah Fund (Growth)1.00%2.32%
UCB AML First Mutual Fund (Balanced)0.34%0.56%

What drives that outcome is the shape of the period, not the merit of either method.

A lump sum wins when a fund's NAV rises steadily from the day you invest, because every taka is exposed for the whole window. Monthly investing wins when the NAV dips partway through, because the later instalments buy units at the lower price.

So the 29 to 6 split is a description of the last 2 years in these funds. A window with a different NAV path can produce a different split.

The comparison nobody runs

Treating this as a real choice assumes a lump sum exists. For most savers it does not: income arrives monthly, and the actual decision is whether to buy units as the money arrives or hold it in a bank account until it accumulates.

That version of the question has a cost the table above cannot show. Money waiting to be invested earns the deposit rate, currently around 8.8% a year on an FDR, while it waits. Against the 20.00% the strongest fund produced and the 0.34% the weakest produced, waiting is neither obviously safe nor obviously costly. It depends entirely on which fund the money was eventually going to buy.

What the monthly figures assume

A fixed deposit of ৳5,000 on a regular schedule, units bought at the NAV in force at the time, dividends reinvested. The full table of what that produced in each fund is in the monthly investing post.

Over 2 years that adds up to ৳1,20,000 paid in. The strongest result was VIPB Fixed Income Fund at ৳1,46,850; the weakest was UCB AML First Mutual Fund at ৳1,20,702.

Notice which comparison is larger. The best and weakest fund were 19.66 percentage points a year apart. Inside the same fund, the two methods differed by 1.59 points on average. Over this window, choosing the fund mattered far more than choosing how to pay into it.

What is not modelled

No tax, no platform charge, no spread between the buying and selling price. The fund's management fee is inside the NAV, so it is reflected. Figures run through 24 September 2026.

Common questions

Which method is better overall?

Neither, universally. Over this window monthly investing led in 29 of 35 funds and the lump sum in 6, but the result depends on the shape of the period rather than on one method being superior.

Does monthly investing reduce risk?

It spreads out the price you pay, which reduces the impact of investing everything on a single bad day. It does not protect against a fund falling over the whole period.

What monthly amount is modelled?

৳5,000, applied identically to every fund so the results stay comparable. You can run a different figure on the homepage.

Does the choice of fund matter more than the method?

Over this window, choosing the fund mattered far more than choosing the method. The strongest and weakest fund were 19.66 percentage points a year apart, against an average gap of 1.59 points between the two methods in the same fund.

Further reading on this site

Run these numbers on your own amount

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