Dollar Cost Averaging Explained

You have a sum to invest and the eternal question: drip it in or put it all in now. This explains pound-cost averaging in plain English with worked numbers for markets going down, sideways and up, compares it to lump-sum investing, and gives you an honest answer for your amount and timeframe rather than the safe non-answer. For first-time investors weighing the two.

Explain pound-cost averaging in plain English. Show me with a concrete numerical example how it works when markets go down, sideways, and up. Compare it to lump-sum investing and tell me when each approach makes more sense. I have {AVAILABLE_AMOUNT} to invest. Should I invest it all now or spread it out over {TIMEFRAME}? Give me an honest answer, not just the safe one.