As soon as there are ups and downs in the market, a question definitely comes in the mind of SIP investors. Should SIP be stopped, wait for the fall and rise or can one earn higher returns by changing the date of SIP? Many people feel that choosing the right date of the month or investing at a time of market weakness can yield more benefits in the long run. But an analysis of nearly 30 years of data on BSE Sensex TRI has revealed that the impact of SIP timing is not as big as most investors think.
After all, how much difference did it make?
To understand how much choosing the right time matters, WhiteOak Mutual Fund studied SIP investments made on different dates from August 1996 to April 2026. The results were quite surprising.
The investor who did SIP on the best day every month got 13.80 percent XIRR returns over the entire period. The one who invested on the worst day every month also got 13.32 percent return. That means there was only a 0.48 percent difference in the returns of those who invested in the best and worst times. At the same time, investors who kept doing SIP on a fixed date every month without much thinking, also got about 13.58 percent XIRR return.
Almost identical returns even on different dates
SIP investments made on different dates of the month were also analyzed in the report. It was found that investing at the beginning, middle or end of the month did not make much difference in returns.
as an example
- If you do SIP on 1st of every month, you get 13.59% return.
- Got 13.55 percent return on investment on 10th
- Got 13.58 percent return on SIP on 20th
- Got 13.61 percent return on investment on 28th
That means, on most dates the returns remained between 13.55 percent to 13.61 percent.
What is the lesson for investors?
This study clearly indicates that the success of SIP in the long run does not depend on choosing the right date, but on continuous investment. It was seen in the data of about 30 years that whether the investment was made on the best day, worst day or on a fixed date, there was not much difference in the long-term returns. Data also shows that investors who did regular SIPs with discipline without panic, their returns were almost the same as those of investors with perfect timing.
